CHENNAI/VELLORE: A day after an undertrial was hacked to death on a court premises, a close relative of a slain AIADMK man surrendered in court on Wednesday. Police sources said Suresh, a relative of ‘Bullet’ Viswanathan, surrendered at a magistrate court in Chengalpattu as the police were closing in on him. Seven other persons were arrested in connection with the murder in broad daylight. “Six of them were henchmen engaged by relatives of Viswanathan for the revenge murder. One of them is a relative of Viswanathan,” said a police official.
Police suspect that Varadharajan was murdered to avenge the killing of Viswanathan at KK Nagar in November last.
Meanwhile, in Vellore, the district police suspended three policemen, on the charge of dereliction of duty, a day after the accused, who was being escorted by them from the Vellore Central Prison, was hacked to death.
Superintendent of Police of Vellore, P K Senthil Kumari, said a suspension order will be issued within two or three days to Special Sub Inspector of Police Jayavadivel of Melpadi station, head constable, Vasantha Kumar of Veppankuppam limit and constable Prakash of Paratharami limit.
Varadharajan was being escorted to the court for a hearing on Tuesday when a gang of three or four men hacked him inside the court premises. Police officials who were escorting him, fled the spot on seeing the assailants. Additional Superintendent of Police of Prohibition Enforcement Wing, D Ashok Kumar, will conduct an enquiry. Based on the enquiry report, the police department will take further action against the three police men.