CHENNAI: Two persons were arrested in connection with the murder of a security guard who was found dead inside the premises of an abandoned school in Thatchur near Ponneri in neighbouring Tiruvallur on Friday.The deceased was identified as Palanivel (59), a native of Thanjavur.

Probe revealed that he was working as a security guard at the school for more than three years. The school has remained closed for the past 10 years.

Neighbours who used to interact with Palanivel every day grew suspicious when Palanivel did not come out of the premises for days together and entered the campus to check on him. According to police sources, public found him lying unconscious with assault injuries after which they alerted the Kavaripettai police.

A police team reached the spot, secured the area and conducted a preliminary inquiry. The body was sent to the Ponneri GH for post-mortem. After investigations, police zeroed in on two suspects – Johnson (21) and Manikandan (25) of Thatchur village.

Probe revealed that the duo entered the abandoned school in an inebriated State on Thursday (April 16) night and demanded money from Palanivel When he refused and asked them to leave, the duo assaulted him.

In response, Palanivel took a knife and slashed at one of the youths. Enraged over this, the duo took a wooden log and repeatedly assaulted him leaving him to die and fled the scene.

The arrested duo were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.