Chennai: In a gruesome incident, an auto-rickshaw driver was hacked to death by a five-member gang who posed as passengers near Madurantakam in Chengalpet district in the early hours of Thursday. Police suspect the murder was a pre-planned attack linked to previous enmity.
Details of the Incident
Police said the victim, Suresh Kumar, 38, a resident of Paruthikollai village near Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram, was waiting for passengers near a bus stand when five men, who had arrived by a government bus from Chennai, approached him. They wanted to book a ride to Pappanallur village near Madurantakam, where they claimed their sister lived. He initially refused to carry all five passengers, but they persuaded him by offering to pay extra.
As the auto reached a forest stretch near Pappanallur, the passengers reportedly asked Suresh to stop the vehicle. They then pulled out sickles and machetes from inside their shirts and attacked him. Suresh attempted to flee into the nearby forest area, but the gang chased him down and hacked him to death before escaping.
Discovery and Investigation
Passers-by later noticed the auto parked unattended in the area and alerted police after finding bloodstains near it. A search of the nearby forest led to the discovery of Suresh’s body. Madurantakam police recovered the body and sent it to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital for postmortem. A case has been registered and investigation is on.
Inquiries indicate that the murder may have been carried out due to prior enmity. Police have formed three special teams to trace and arrest the five suspects. Further updates are awaited.
