Madurai: Two men were discovered dead with stab wounds near Nilaiyur in Madurai district on Saturday night, following a fallout from a drunken brawl. Police apprehended eight individuals in connection with the incident on Sunday.
Discovery of Bodies
Around 7am on Sunday, police received a report that two unidentified bodies were lying on the roadside near Vannamparai at Nilaiyur. Upon recovering the bodies, authorities noticed stab and hack injuries on both victims, who were found approximately 500 metres apart. Forensic experts collected evidence, and the bodies were sent to Government Rajaji Hospital for autopsy.
Investigation and Arrests
The Austinpatti police initially registered an accident case, as one of the bodies appeared to have been run over by a vehicle. The deceased were later identified as Moundhan, 28, of Thanichiyam, and Padmanaban, 20, of Harveypatti. Further investigation led to the arrest of eight individuals, including Azhagu Sethupathi of Nilaiyur. Police noted that both Moundhan and Azhagu Sethupathi were history-sheeters with multiple pending cases against them.
Sequence of Events
According to police, Sethupathi confessed to the crime and stated that a few days earlier, a verbal altercation had occurred between him and Moundhan while both were intoxicated near Thuvariman. Enraged by the incident, Sethupathi devised a plan and called Moundhan to discuss the matter. Moundhan, accompanied by Padmanaban, arrived on a two-wheeler around 11:45pm on Saturday. When they reached Vannamparai, Sethupathi and his gang confronted them. A verbal argument escalated into a violent clash, during which the duo was hacked and stabbed with knives and sickles. Police arrested Azhagu Sethupathi along with seven others involved in the incident.
