Textile showroom staff hacked after owner refuses to pay ‘mamool’

Police said the attack was engineered by a history-sheeter now in prison, over a fall out of the shopkeeper failing to pay ‘mamool’ that he had demanded ahead of Tamil New Year.  

The incident happened at Sri Vijayalakshmi Silks in Kancheepuram, where only two staff, Senthil (35) and Babu (38), were present as the other employees had gone for lunch. 

Around 2 pm, three men on a two-wheeler reached the shop, with their faces covered with handkerchiefs. As they entered the shop with the cloths covering their faces, shoppers inside realised the danger and ran out in fear. 

Though both Senthil and Babu, too, tried to escape, the men hacked them using bill hook which was  kept hidden inside their shirts. After the attack, the gang wiped the blood off on a piece of cloth from the shop, and fled from the spot on their two-wheeler, but not before issuing a warning: “If your owner fails to give the money we asked, things like this will happen.” 

Employees from the neighbouring shops rushed Senthil and Babu to the Kancheepuram government hospital, and also alerted the police about the incident. Vishnu Kanchi police visited the spot and after preliminary inquiry said that the attackers were working for Thyagu, a known criminal in the area. 

Police said that Thyagu is currently lodged in Puzhal prison and had sought money from the textile shop owner Saravanan for celebrating Tamil New Year. But Saravanan refused, police added. A case has been registered and police are trying to identify the attackers.