COIMBATORE: In a gang rivalry, a 20-year-old youth who was a prime suspect in the murder of another youth, belonging to an opposite gang during Vinayagar Chathurthi celebration in 2024, was murdered at Kempatty colony in Coimbatore city on Wednesday night. The police have formed two special teams to arrest the two suspects, believed to have been involved in the murder.
The deceased was S Praveen Kumar (20) of Balaiyan Thottam, 5th street of Housing Unit at Kempatty Colony in Coimbatore city. He was known by the nickname 'Japan' and was working at a Coir Pith production unit in Mysore, Karnataka. He was arrested by the Selvapuram police in connection with the murder of Gokulakrishnan on September 7, 2024, during the Vinayagar Chathurthi celebration.
The murder resulted from a long-standing dispute between two rival gangs, one headed by Gokulakrishnan and the other by Praveen Kumar. Later, the police arrested a four-member gang led by Praveen. He was on bail and had come to Coimbatore a few days ago, appeared for the trial, and stayed in his house at Kempatty Colony.
On Wednesday night, around 8 pm, he was consuming alcohol at an isolated place at Balaji Nagar near Kempatti Colony, when a four-member gang surrounded Praveen and assaulted him. While the others escaped from the scene, Praveen was stuck between the gang, which then murdered him at the spot and managed to flee from the place.
On being alerted, the Selvapuram police have rushed to the spot and sent the body to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.
Information on the suspects, A Manoj and Kannan, involved in the murder has been collected based on the witnesses' statement, said police sources.