COIMBATORE: A 19-year-old engineering college student was beaten to death near Coimbatore in a clash allegedly linked to a mobile phone snatching incident. Police arrested five other students on Tuesday in connection with the murder.
The deceased, K Amudhan (19) from Vallalar Street in Kallakurichi district, was a third-year student at a private engineering college in Chettipalayam. According to police, in July, he was suspended from the college hostel after allegedly assaulting a North Indian cook employed there. He then moved into a rented room with friends in the Othakalmandapam area.
Elavarasan (18), a second-year civil engineering student at the same college, was staying in a rented room with friends at Poonga Nagar in Othakalmandapam. Around 5.30 am on Monday, a masked group including Amudhan allegedly entered Elavarasan's room, threatened the occupants with a knife, assaulted them and snatched two mobile phones before fleeing. During the chase, Elavarasan and others reportedly identified Amudhan. Elavarasan then lodged a complaint and Chettipalayam police registered a case.
The same evening around 8.30 pm, Amudhan and his friend Sreeman (19) were heading towards the college near Malumichampatti when the group of students, from whom Amudhan and others stole the phones from, identified Amudhan. They intercepted the duo, and took them to the ground behind the college, where they were assaulted, police said.
Amudhan returned to his room around 10 pm. At 3 am on Tuesday, his roommates found him injured and motionless. He suddenly developed severe breathing difficulty. They rushed him to a private hospital on the L&T bypass road, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Based on Sreeman's complaint, Chettipalayam police registered a murder case and arrested five students from the same college, both second- and fourth-year engineering students. Further investigation is on.