VCK cadre hacked to death in revenge attack, 3 held

The deceased was identified as Joseph of GKM Colony in Kolathur. Police said that he was also a history-sheeter with several assault and extortion cases pending against him.

The incident took place around 9 pm on Saturday night, when Joseph was talking to a police personnel Sathish from anti-gangster team of the central crime branch. Suddenly, the gang surrounded the duo and started attacking Joseph with machetes. Sathish, who tried to stop them, also suffered injuries in the attack. After ensuring that Joseph is dead, the gang dragged his body and pushed it into the nearby drainage before fleeing the spot.

On receipt of information, Ayanavaram police rushed to the spot and sent Sathish to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for treatment. Joseph’s body was sent for post-mortem examination. In the night-long operation, Ayanavaram police arrested Lokesh and two others, identified as Ajith and Velu.

After the preliminary inquiry, police said that Sathish met Joseph as part of an investigation and the attackers did not know that Sathish was a policeman as he was in plain clothes. “There was a previous enmity between Joseph and Lokesh over a woman and Joseph attacked Lokesh with weapons in December last year. Police also noted that the main accused Joseph, who was detained under the Goondas Act in connection with a case earlier, was released only last month.

“Lokesh and his gang were waiting for an opportunity to murder Joseph and monitored his movements,” said police. While three were remanded in judicial custody, police have launched a hunt to nab the others in connection with the murder.