SALEM: A personal dispute that originated on social media led to the assault on a man by three youths on the Jayalalitha Two-Tier Flyover in Salem city on Saturday morning, said police.
A video of the incident circulated widely on social media, raising concerns about a possible robbery in the heart of the city, near the New Bus Stand.
Subsequently, Salem City Police Commissioner Anil Kumar Giri clarified the circumstances of the incident.
The man who was attacked, initially reported as Suresh, has been identified as Prammanayagam (30), a resident of Tirunelveli, clarified police.
According to police, five months ago, Prammanayagam had sent inappropriate messages to a girl online. The girl informed her friend, 18-year-old R Ramakrishnan, who asked Prammanayagam to stop contacting her. Despite this warning, the messages continued over time, which eventually escalated into the incident on the flyover.
To corner Prammanayagam, Ramakrishnan created a fake social media account in a girl's name to communicate with the former. He intended to lure Prammanayagam to Salem.
As part of his plan, Prammanayagam was asked to come to Salem on Saturday and to the two-tier flyover, where Ramakrishnan and two of his friends directly approached him, attacked him, took his mobile phone, broke it, and then left, said the police.
The incident occurred around 7 a.m.
Following the assault, Prammanayagam filed a complaint at Pallapatti Police Station and returned to his native place. Salem City Police promptly launched an intensive search to track down the individuals involved.
Within four hours, police identified and apprehended Ramakrishnan and his two associates. Police confirmed during questioning that the incident was limited to the personal dispute and that no further criminal activities, such as theft or violence beyond this confrontation, were involved.
The three youths were taken into custody and were later released on bail.
Commissioner Anil Kumar Giri stated that the youths were not under the influence of alcohol and that the incident did not involve robbery. He also added that further action related to the social media matter is ongoing.
