Six men arrested for double murder at Kancheepuram Padunelli village

CHENNAI: Kancheepuram police have arrested six men for the murder of two youngsters at Padunelli village near Kancheepuram following a dispute during a music program held as part of a temple festival. The incident occurred on Sunday night during the Amman temple festival at Padunelli village.

A quarrel had broken out between two groups during a music programme over their demand to play their preferred gaana songs. Following the argument, a group of youngsters assaulted and attacked Neelakandan (25) and Chandru (23), both from Padunelli. The two were hacked to death around midnight after the programme ended.

His relatives staged a road blockade demanding the arrest of everyone involved in the incident. Based on the directions of Kancheepuram SP Aravind, special police teams were formed and launched a search for the suspects.

On Monday evening, police arrested Bhagavathi (24), a resident of Padunelli. While attempting to escape, he fell and injured his leg. Police provided first-aid and continued their interrogation, in which they found that five others from the same locality were also involved in the murders.

Police subsequently arrested Pushparaj, Kalaiselvan, Giri, Prabhakaran and Nagaraj, who had been absconding, on Tuesday night. All six were produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

Ponnerikarai police, after the investigation, said that the suspects were under the influence of ganja when the dispute occurred. They suspected that an argument between the two groups over the songs to be played during the music programme had escalated into a crime.