Ganja peddlers attack family for tipping off police, one dead

The deceased was identified as Dhanachezhiyan from Govindavadi Agaram village near Kancheepuram, who owned a provision store along with his brother Sanjivirayan (62). Police said both families are living together on Kaavan Street. The injured are Sanjivirayan’s wife Radha (55), sons Dakshina Moorthy (25) and Yuvaraj (22), daughter Subashini (35) and her husband Sivakumar (40), and a pedestrian named Devaki (56).

The injured were admitted to Kancheepuram government hospital, from where Dakshina Moorthy and Yuvaraj were referred to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital.

The group had come to kill Sanjivirayan but he was out of town on Tuesday.

Last year, a tussle broke out between Sanjivirayan and Purushothaman (40), a ganja peddler who has petty cases against him, over organising the function at the Mariamman temple in their neighbourhood. With the support of the local public, Sanjivirayan organised the function. Police said he had warned Purushothaman that he would inform the police about ganja trade.

Six months ago, police had arrested Purushothaman for peddling ganja. Holding Sanjivirayan to be the reason for his arrest, Purushothaman decided to kill him while in the prison, police said.

After coming out on bail last month, Purushothaman had threatened to kill Sanjivirayan, who filed a complaint with the Baluchetty Chatiram police.

On Tuesday morning, a group of 10 bike-borne men, including Purushothaman, came to Sanjivirayan’s house with sickles and knives, and searched for him in every room. When his brother Dhanachezhiyan questioned them, they began attacking him. Dhanachezhiyan tried to run away from them, but the gang chased him on the streets and hacked him. Dakshina Moorthy, Yuvaraj, Subashini, Sivakumar, and Radha, who tried to stop the gang also suffered cut injuries. Devaki from the neighbourhood, who was walking on the street, also came under attacked from the gang member, who escaped from the spot on their bikes.

By the time the police team from Baluchetty Chatiram arrived at the spot, Dhanachezhiyan had died. The team then took the injured persons to Kancheepuram government hospital, and have launched a hunt for Purushothaman and his associates after registering a case.