CHENNAI: Police arrested four persons on Saturday after two men were killed and another was seriously injured in a road rage incident involving an attack with sharp weapons and stone-pelting at Manavalanagar near Tiruvallur on Friday night.
The deceased were identified as K Parthiban (32), a bank clerk, and Sukumar (31), a private loan collection agent. Kesavamoorthy (23), who was with them, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at the Tiruvallur Government General Hospital.
Police said Parthiban, Sukumar and Kesavamoorthy, residents of Ondikuppam in Tiruvallur, had returned from a trip to a waterfall in Andhra Pradesh. While they were standing near a bakery on Poonamallee High Road, two men on a motorcycle -- K Josith (34) and K Vinothkumar (36) -- allegedly rode past them at high speed. A heated argument broke out when the trio questioned them about it.
An irate Josith and Vinothkumar later gathered their associates, V Neelakandan (30) and B Jawahar (23), and, allegedly under the influence of drugs, went in search of Parthiban and his friends. They traced the trio to a hotel in Manavalanagar. When the victims stepped out of the hotel, the gang allegedly surrounded them, pelted them with stones and attacked them with sharp weapons.
Parthiban died on the spot, while Sukumar later died at a hospital. Doctors at the hospital said Sukumar suffered severe injuries and cardiac complications. Kesavamoorthy remains in critical condition. Parthiban’s body was sent to the Tiruvallur Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.
Police registered cases under Sections 103 (murder) and 296 (performing obscene acts) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Following the incident, over 100 residents of Ondikuppam blocked the Tiruvallur-Poonamallee High Road, demanding immediate arrest of the the accused. Additional police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain order.
Police arrested the accused on Saturday. Sources said Neelakandan fractured his right leg and Jawahar fractured his right hand while trying to evade arrest. Both were treated at a hospital before being produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.