Four held for hacking man to death in Tirunelveli

TIRUNELVELI: Four people, including a minor, were arrested on Monday in connection with the alleged murder of a 38-year-old man near here, police said.

The incident occurred on July 12 and the victim was identified as Avudaiyappan, a resident of Parayadi near Tirunelveli town.

Police said they have identified and arrested three men, all from Kottaiyadi, who went on a two-wheeler and attacked the victim with a machete before fleeing.

They have also arrested a minor boy, who is also suspected to have been involved in the murder, they added.

Prior enmity is the motive behind the attack, police sources said.

Initially, residents of Parayadi and Avudaiyappan's relatives refused to allow the police to take away the body and staged a protest demanding the arrest of the accused. The agitation near the Kottaiyadi burial ground disrupted traffic on the Tirunelveli-Sankarankoil route for over an hour.

Police said they held talks with them and later sent the body for a post-mortem examination at the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital.

A case was registered at the Tirunelveli town police station and further investigations are underway.