MADURAI: An elderly man was beheaded by an armed gang near Thiruppachethi in Sivagangai district on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Sonaimuthu (63) of Nattakudi village. He was an MNREGA worker, sources said.

The killing took place when Sonaimuthu was talking with his neighbour Pandi (64). Three unidentified men, brandishing weapons, arrived on motorcycles and hacked Sonaimuthu to death. Pandi also sustained injuries when he tried to rescue Sonaimuthu. The assailants then left with Sonaimuthu’s chopped head and dumped it somewhere.

Sivagangai Superintendent of Police R Shiva Prasad inspected the crime scene and conducted preliminary inquiries. After an extensive search, Sonaimuthu’s head was found in a kanmoi along the Sivagangai Ring Road.

The recovered head along with the torso was sent to Sivagangai Government Hospital for post-mortem. The reason behind the killing has yet to be known. Special teams have been to nab the culprits, said the police. Based on a complaint, the Thirupachethi police have filed a case and are investigating further.