The deceased R Srinivasan of Kargil Nagar had assault cases pending against him in Sathangadu and Tiruvottiyur police stations, said the police.

While Srinivasan did not indulge in any criminal activities for the last six months, a few men took him away from his house on Wednesday and he did not return home.

Meanwhile, manager of Tiruvottiyur railway station received information on Thursday morning that a man was run over the train a few metres away. The station manager alerted Korukkupet railway police, and the body was retrieved for post-mortem examination. The injury marks on his body confirmed that he was hacked to death. The deceased was later identified as Srinivasan.

Railway police suspect that Srinivasan could have been murdered elsewhere and the body was thrown on the railway track to make it look like an accident.