A lorry owner was hacked to death by a four-member gang in a case of revenge killing, in Pulianthope on Wednesday night.
Police said Viji alias Viswanathan, (45), husband of Kannagi (44), was proceeding to his residence in Kannagi Nagar on a bike along with his employee Kumar, when he was intercepted by a gang of four on two bikes at the Dr Ambedkar College Road and Decastor Road intersection.
The gang hacked Viji to death with swords and sickles and fled the spot after ensuring that he was dead. Kumar, who ran for his life, alerted Kannagi. A passerby who witnessed the incident passed on the information to the police. Pulianthope Inspector Frank D Ruban rushed to the spot and sent the body to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. Joint Commissioner (West) K Shanmugavel, Deputy Commissioner (Pulianthope) R Sudhakar held inquiries.
Sources said Kannagi’s son Rajesh, along with Kumar and 10 others, murdered one Raj in 2010. Raj’s wife Stella and Kannagi, who were living on the same street in Kannagi Nagar, had rivalry over brick supply.
After the murder, police relocated Stella. Though Stella used to take up painting and other contract work, she was struggling to meet both ends. She was also upset over her husband’s murder.
Meanwhile, the trial of Raj’s murder reached its final stages and Kannagi and nine others involved in the murder were likely to be convicted. However, to avenge the death of her husband, Stella instigated her brother Karthik and a few others to murder Viji and accordingly the plan was executed.
Five persons have been detained in connection with Wednesday’s murder, police said.