TIRUCHY: The murder of two youth due to previous enmity triggered acute tension in Mayiladuthurai on Saturday. Though police acted swiftly and arrested three suspects, who were reportedly involved in the murder, angered relatives of the victims torched the houses of the accused.
Sources said that there was a prolonged enmity between M Moovendan (24) and R Dinesh (28), both residents of Muttom village near Perambur in Mayiladuthurai district.
On Thursday (February 13) evening, while Moovendan was standing in front of his house, Dinesh came there on a two-wheeler and reportedly picked up a verbal altercation with him. As the spat intensified, suddenly the duo attacked each other. Onlookers intervened and pacified them.
Around 8.30 pm on Friday, Dinesh along with his friends K Harish (25) of Muttom, B Sakthi (20) of Srinivasapuram in Mayiladuthurai, K Ajay (19) also from Muttom were passing through North Street.
Meanwhile, Moovendan, his friends M Thangadurai (28) and R Rajkumar, who came there in an inebriated condition, again picked up a quarrel with Dinesh and attempted to attack his with a knife. But Harish, Ajay and Sakthi foiled the attack on Dinesh. During the confrontation, Harish suffered a deep cut to abdomen while Sakthi sustained injuries on his back and Ajay on his hand.
After the attack, Moovendan and his friends fled spot. Locals rushed the injured to Mayiladuthurai GH.
However, Harish and Sakthi succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital, while the Ajay had been undergoing treatment.
On information, Mayiladuthurai SP G Stalin visited the spot and conducted inquiries. Subsequently, police arrested Rajkumar and Thangadurai and they were searching for Moovendan who had gone absconding.
Meanwhile, on information, the kin of deceased Harish and Sakthi gathered in front of the hospital on Saturday and staged a protest demanding the arrest of all the accused.
They also blocked the Mayiladuthurai-Kumbakonam Highway. Even as police were holding talks with the agitating family members, a group of relatives of the deceased Harish and Sakthi ransacked and torched the houses of Rajkumar and Moovendan.
Later, the police arrested Moovendan from a hideout. All three accused were presented before a local court and were lodged in the prison under judicial custody.