CUDDALORE: Within hours of a 22-year-old youth’s murder at the Vriddhachalam bus stand on Monday night, the police claimed to have cracked the case with the arrest of three persons, including a teenager, on Tuesday.
According to the police, Manibalan’s (22), a resident of Vriddhachalam, murder was a fallout of a previous enmity. Manibalan had returned from abroad around six months ago. He had been fixing CCTV cameras at establishments in the district for a living.
He fell out with Tony (name changed) (15), Suresh (21) and Azharuddin(20) a few days ago when he reportedly opposed to their loitering in his area. Sources said that Tony was in love with a neighbour of Manibalan’s and used to frequent the area along with his friends.
“Manibalan had warned the three youth from loitering in the area. Ever since then, they had been nursing a grouse against him. On the New Year’s eve, the trio picked up a quarrel with Manibalan again over the same issue. They had been looking for a chance to get even with him since then,” the police said.
On Monday night, they spotted Manibalan near the Vriddhachalam bus stand and accosted him. A heated verbal argument ensued, which soon gave way to a brawl, during which the three youngsters beat up Manibalan with clubs. In a fit of rage, they stabbed him with knives and fled. The three youngsters were reportedly drunk at the time of the assault. Meanwhile, Manibalan suffered injuries to his ears and stomach and was rushed to a government hospital by a few by-standers. But, Manibalan succumbed to injuries there.