Ganja peddler killed by gang in full public view

Police suspect that the victim, identified as K Arumugam of Gandhipuram in K. Pudur, could have been killed over previous enmity.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that Arumugam, who was arrested earlier and facing trial in a case of ganja peddling, was out on bail with a condition that he should sign in Pudur police station every day. He had been coming and signing at the Pudur police station for the past 10 days as per the condition.

An armed gang, which tracked his movements, reportedly hacked him to death on Tuesday near the Pudur bus stand, sources said. However, a twist in the murder is that Arumugam was not the intended target of the gang.

Last year, a person named Dinesh was murdered by a gang, led by ‘Pura’ Pandi, in Madurai owing to previous enmity. To avenge the murder, supporters of Dinesh hatched plans to murder three persons, including ‘Pura’ Pandi. Since the gang could not trace the whereabouts of ‘Pura’ Pandi and two members of the rival group, the gang tracked Arumugam’s movements, a relative of ‘Pura’ Pandi. When Arumugam came to the bus stand in Pudur after signing at the police station, the gang, which came in two bikes, hacked him indiscriminately, leaving him dead on the spot.

While R. Balamurugan (28) of Mangalakudi, K. Pudur, one of the accused in gang, had been arrested, four others have gone into hiding, police said.