TIRUNELVELI: A 72-year-old passenger from Coimbatore was allegedly bludgeoned to death, and two others from Thoothukudi and Kerala were injured after a youth from Bihar allegedly attacked them with an iron rod at Tirunelveli Junction railway station on Tuesday night. Police later secured the accused, identified as Suraj (25), and began an inquiry.
Sources said that Pandithurai (29) of Vanchi Maniyachi in Thoothukudi district was having food on platform number 4, while Thangappan (72) of Coimbatore district was waiting to board a train to Coimbatore around 10.45 pm.
Another passenger, Prasad (29) from Kerala, was waiting to board the Punalur-bound train. “Suraj suddenly attacked Pandithurai with an iron rod and then assaulted Thangappan and Prasad, leaving all three with severe injuries. The passengers screamed in pain as blood pooled on the platform, and the attacker fled the scene. A police team rushed to the spot. The victims were shifted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, where Thangappan succumbed to his injuries. The other two remain under intensive treatment,” said sources.
Based on CCTV footage, The government railway police reportedly tracked Suraj near the Tachanallur railway overbridge and secured him along with the weapon. The incident triggered tension at Tirunelveli Junction, which had witnessed another murder near its premises a few days ago.