COIMBATORE: A group of 8-10 persons, armed with knives and rifles, butchered three men near Irugur Pirivu near the city, on the busy Tiruchy Road on Wednesday evening. A fourth man, shot in the chest, has been admitted in a private hospital. One victim was decapitated.
Police have not yet identified the deceased. However, highly placed sources told Express that they believed the three victims to be Lali Manikandan, J Ramarajan and Vadamadai Iyyappan, all from Thanjavur. Police said the man, who was shot but escaped, was Ravi (43).
The murders are believed to be a revenge for the killing of an advocate M K Raja (32) near Tiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur district on April 4. Lali Manikandan and J Ramarajan were allegedly involved in Raja’s murder.
The two had been transferred from the Cuddalore Central Prison to Coimbatore. While Ramarajan was released on bail on Tuesday, Lali Manikandan was released on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses said that a gang of 8-10 men, stopped their car and broke open the windshield. They then began stabbing the occupants, while one of them fired two rounds at the driver.
After this, as the other three occupants got out of the car, they were stabbed and murdered on the busy highway.