CHENNAI: Madhavaram police have arrested eight persons in connection with the murder of a 24-year-old youth, whose body was recovered from an empty plot at Ambedkar Nagar near Burma colony in Madhavaram last Thursday (August 14). Police also secured two 17-year-olds who were sent to a government home for boys.

The deceased, identified as K Lokesh alias Chandru (24), was a Class 12 dropout and was doing menial jobs. The probe revealed that on Thursday, Lokesh left home with a friend, Jerome, who was acting on the instructions of Lokesh's rival and took him to the secluded spot where the gang rounded up and attacked Lokesh, leaving him to die. A passerby who noticed the youth lying in a pool of blood moved him to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

After an inquiry, Madhavaram police arrested Rupesh (27), Monish (24), Praveen Kumar (20), Prahan Kumar (19), Akash (19), Rajesh (19), Jerome (20), and Arun Kumar (37).

Probe revealed that Lokesh's murder was a revenge attack. A few days ago, Lokesh's friends had attacked the main accused, Rupesh's friend, Joel Joshua. Rupesh held the deceased accountable for the attack and plotted to murder him.

Rupesh and Monish are history-sheeters with half a dozen cases against them at Madhavaram police station. The arrested persons were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.