MADURAI: A man, who was recently released on bail in a murder case, was brutally hacked to death by an unidentified armed gang in an alleged revenge attack near Vikramangalam in Madurai district, police said on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Siddiq, a resident of Kalpulichanpatti village.

According to police, Siddiq and his brother Siddharth, were arrested and imprisoned for the murder of a man named Muthiah in 2024. The murder was the result of an escalating dispute that originated during a family function. After securing bail a few months ago, the brothers had reportedly been living in hiding to avoid returning to their village.

The fatal attack occurred last night near Malaiyur. Siddiq was walking with two other youths when an unidentified gang intercepted them. The assailants indiscriminately attacked Siddiq with deadly weapons, inflicting severe injuries on his head, hands, and legs.

Siddiq died on the spot, while the two youths accompanying him escaped with minor injuries. The gang fled the scene immediately after the attack. Following the incident, Vikramangalam police rushed to the spot, recovered the body, and sent it to the Madurai Rajaji Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

The police have registered a case and launched a manhunt to apprehend the killers. A thorough investigation is underway, with officials primarily suspecting the incident to be a revenge killing linked to the 2024 murder, though other possible motives are also being examined.