Goondas detainee who escaped on cop’s bike nabbed

On Monday, 32-year-old auto driver Sathyagiri Rao was hacked to death in broad daylight in Poonamallee, after which a special team was formed to nab the suspects. When the police tried to following one such suspect, he tried to flee. He was chased and caught after which the police came to know that his name was Pulsar Babu, a Goondas detainee, who had escaped from Stanley Government Hospital a month ago. He had been undergoing treatment there.

The 30-year-old had earlier been arrested by the Vepery police and since he had several robbery cases against him, he was detained under Goondas Act. When he was admitted at Stanley Hospital for health complications, he escaped on a police officer’s bike. After being nabbed on Tuesday, he was handed over to the Vepery police and remanded in judicial custody.

Five arrested for auto driver’s murder

Meanwhile, the Ponnamalle police have arrested five people for the alleged murder of auto driver Sathyagiri Rao, who was also a repeat offender.

The accused have been identified as K Boobalan (27) from Ambattur, S Shabeer (24) from Senneerkuppam, A Jeganathan (26) from Avadi, P George (30) from Thirumullaivoyal and M Balaji (37) from Senneerkuppam. The police said that all the accused are auto drivers who were often confronted and threatened by Sathyagiri not to park their vehicles or take passengers from crowded junctions in the area. Sathyagiri had allegedly also assaulted the other drivers on several occasions last year.

“They decided to get rid of him foreverand killed him when he was drunk. On Monday, they cornered him when he was drinking alcohol with a few friends in Parivakkam village and hacked him to death,” said an investigating officer. All the accused have been remanded in judicial custody.