CHENNAI: A 22-year-old man was hacked to death by a five-member gang in Puzhal on Monday. One person has been arrested and the hunt is on for others, said the police.
The deceased was identified as S Sudha Chandar from Vinayagapuram. Police said, he could have been killed because he was allegedly in a live-in relationship with a married woman, who was his classmate from school.
On Monday, Chandar was driving his bike and the woman was riding pillion. When they were crossing Vinayagapuram, a gang reached the spot in an autorickshaw and waylaid them. “They hacked Chandar with machetes and fled,” said a senior police officer. The woman informed the police and the ambulance crew declared Chandar dead. His body was taken to the Stanley Government Hospital for postmortem.
After preliminary investigation police said the woman had left her husband and was living with her alleged lover and this was not liked by her mother, husband, brother and relatives. The woman in her statement said her husband, mother, brother and relatives had murdered Chandar.
“The couple attempted to elope years ago, but were caught and the girl’s parents kept her under house custody. They got her married off to another man two years ago and she has a baby with him,” said a police officer.
The woman, meanwhile, said she was physically attacked by her in-laws after which got in touch with her schoolmate a few months ago and they rented a house and moved in together, said the police. Her family tried to convince her to go back to her husband but in vain. A case has been booked and an investigation is on.