Madurai: A 17-year-old boy was brutally stabbed to death by a five-member gang near the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai early Monday morning. The incident occurred around 1 a.m., stemming from a previous enmity between the victim and the assailants.
Victim Identified
The deceased was identified as Gubendran, 17, a resident of North Masi Street. According to police sources, Gubendran had several pending criminal cases against him.
Details of the Attack
The five-member gang, comprising Muthu Mani (28), his younger brother Rajkumar (26), Muthu Kumar (19) of Thidir Nagar, Sathish Kumar (28) of Melavasal, and Harikrishnan (18) of North Masi Street, arrived at the temple's parking complex on a two-wheeler. They began stabbing Gubendran on the first floor, then dragged him to the ground floor and continued the assault. The victim sustained nearly 20 stab wounds and died on the spot in a pool of blood.
Police Response
Police rushed to the scene and sent the body to Government Rajaji Hospital for postmortem. Forensic experts collected evidence from the crime scene.
Background of the Enmity
Preliminary investigations revealed that on April 26, Muthu Mani had attacked Gubendran at a fruit shop on Thalavai Agraharam Street, where Gubendran worked, following a verbal altercation. In retaliation, Gubendran attacked Muthu Mani with a knife, causing a cut injury. Gubendran was arrested by the Vilakkuthoon police but was later released on bail by a judicial magistrate.
The tension escalated further when the mothers of Muthu Mani and Gubendran engaged in a verbal altercation. Enraged by these incidents, Muthu Mani conspired with his associates to kill Gubendran.
Arrests and Reactions
The Vilakkuthoon police registered a case and arrested all five men. The incident drew sharp criticism from political leaders. Tuticorin MP Kanimozhi condemned the attack on X, stating, "It is heartbreaking that Tamil Nadu is in a state where we have to hear such news first thing in the morning. Tamil Nadu has become a state where children, women, differently-abled people, and the elderly have no protection. It is doubtful whether this new government is even aware that law and order has severely deteriorated."
Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami also condemned the incident on social media.
