Four policemen on patrol duty at the Tambaram checkpost nabbed a gang that was fleeing to Chennai in a car after hacking to death a 40-year-old DMDK functionary in Kancheepuram district on Tuesday night, three hours after the incident.
It was 11.15 pm on Tuesday when SSI Sivakumar and head constables Prakash Kumar, Elumalai and Anna Durai were conducting vehicle checks at the Tambaram checkpost, when they intercepted a speeding Xylo car.
The policemen grew suspicious after spotting bloodstains on the clothes of the occupants of the car and detained them for questioning.
After being grilled at the Tambaram police station, the six men revealed their identity as A Robert (23), S Kavi Kumar (24) and Amirjahn (26), all residents of Annai Sathya Nagar in Anna Nagar, A Karthy (27) of New Avadi Road in Kakkanji Nagar and N Murugan (36) of Anna Nagar, police said.
The driver of the car was identified as R Munivel (31), a call taxi driver and a friend of Robert.
Further inquiries revealed that the six were making their escape into the city after murdering Venkatesan (40) of Orathur in Maduranthagam, Kancheepuram district, around 8 pm.
It also came to light that one of the arrested members of the gang, Karthy, was involved in the murder of an advocate Sampath in Ayanavaram recently.
Police said the call taxi company had not verified the antecedents of Munivel before engaging him and the driver had been using the vehicle for illegal activities.
Investigation is on to find out whether the arrested men were involved in similar cases.
Inquiries revealed that the victim Venkatesan was a DMDK functionary. He was talking to his friends near a temple in his village on Tuesday night, when the gang attacked him and escaped. He was rushed to the government hospital in Chengalpattu, but later succumbed to his injuries.