CHENNAI:  A 29-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by his friend following a drunken brawl during a drinking session near Red Hills, and the accused had later dumped the body by the roadside to stage it as an accident. The police have arrested the accused.

The passersby alerted the authorities after they found an unconscious youth in a ditch and his two-wheeler near the service road of the Minjur–Vandalur Outer Ring Road at Marambedu near Sholavaram on Friday night.

The youth was moved to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. As there were injuries on his body, Sholavaram police registered a case of suspicious death and sent the body to Stanley Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

The deceased was identified as Manikandan (29), a petty criminal from Vyasarpadi. The police investigations revealed that he was beaten to death. He was last seen with Senthil (44), also from Vyasarpadi. An investigation revealed Senthil was constructing a house at Sirungavoor near Red Hills. On Friday, during a liquor party with three friends, a dispute broke out, and Manikandan was allegedly beaten with a wooden log. To cover up the crime, the accused dumped the body by the roadside.

Sholavaram police have altered the case to murder and arrested Senthil, a history-sheeter. The police are searching for another accused, Vicky alias Vignesh.