Attack on Pachaiyappa’s students: Eight arrested on attempt to murder charges

CHENNAI: A day after two first-year students of Pachaiyappa’s College for Men were attacked with weapons near MGR Chennai Central railway station, the city police have arrested eight youths, all of them college students, on attempt to murder charges.

Officials said their probe revealed that the attack was because of the notorious "route rivalry" among city college students.

On Monday, C Nitish Kumar (18) of Tirumullaivoyal and a 17-year-old boy from Tiruvallur, arrived at the central railway station by train around Monday morning to reach college. While walking through the Central Metro station premises toward college, a gang of about 15 people armed with knives and sickles intercepted them and attacked them indiscriminately before fleeing the scene.

Members of the public rescued the injured and admitted them to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment as in-patients. During inquiry, police found the attack was linked to a long-standing rivalry and previous clashes between students from the Gummidipoondi and Tiruttani railway line areas over dominance.

While Sarathkumar (19), Bhuvaneshwaran (19), and Prakathees (18) were arrested on Monday, five others, Sathish (22), Yuvaraj (20), Sachin (19), Prashanth (18) and Madankumar (18) were arrested on Tuesday.

Probe is under way to arrest the remaining suspects.