CHENNAI: A road rash argument, which escalated to a physical altercation, pushed a 17-year-old school dropout into a coma. The teen succumbed without responding to treatments on Sunday. He was roughed up by a six-member gang, which included two class 12 boys and a college student in Kolathur last Thursday.
The Rajamangalam police, who had earlier registered a case under attempt to murder charges, altered the sections to murder and arrested the gang on Monday.
The deceased was identified as V Harshavardhan, who was employed as an assistant at a two-wheeler mechanic shop.
On September 18 (Thursday), he was riding along Bajanai Koil Street in Villivakkam when a gang intercepted him and rained blows on him with wooden logs and fled the scene.
Onlookers rushed to the aid of the severely injured teenager and moved him to the Periyar Nagar Government Hospital, where he was given treatment and later shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Despite treatment, he slipped into a coma and died on Sunday, police said.
After investigations, the police arrested six youths - Francis (22), Rishikanth (21), S Tharun (18) and three minor boys - two class 12 boys and a college student. The police said they are searching for another 17-year-old suspect and others involved.
The probe revealed that the attack on the deceased was because of the enmity between the victim and the accused gang over the victim's overspeeding with his two-wheeler.
Francis, Rishikanth, and Tharun were remanded in Puzhal prison, while the juveniles were sent to an observation home in Kellys.