Head of accused found near gate of church, the previous murder spot

Police are searching for a group of unidentified men who killed a 23-year-old man, accused of murder last year, and dumped his head in front of a church in Naduveerapattu near Erumaiyur, Kancheepuram on Tuesday night.

Police, who managed to recover the remaining body from near the lakebed in Erumaiyur on Wednesday morning, identified it as Vetrivel of the same locality.

On Tuesday night, locals noticed a human head on the road near the Church gate in Erumaiyur and informed Somangalam police station. The police, who arrived at the spot, secured the head and searched for the body part, which was missing. Initially, the local villagers said the head was that of one Sachin in the locality, the main accused in the death of Abishek, who was murdered in front of the church in October last year.

After searching the whole night, on Wednesday morning, the police found the headless body on the lakebed in Sitheri near Erumaiyur. Later, the police identified the deceased as Vetrivel of the same locality. Police said Vetrivel was also one of the accused in the same murder that happened last year. Police suspect he might be killed by Abishek’s friends for revenge. The Somangalam police have registered a case and are trying to nab the murderers.

In another incident, a 35-year-old man was attacked so brutally by a gang of men near Santhome church on Tuesday night that his head was ripped into pieces and hang precariously from the body. Police suspect the murder could be a fallout of previous enmity.

The deceased Gopi, hailing from the same locality, was a real estate businessman and ran an Aavin parlour too. Mylapore police who are investigating the murder said he was an associate of notorious history-sheeter Sivakumar and has cases pending against him.

The incident happened around 10 pm when Gopi was at a friend’s shop on Appu Street. A four-member gang reached the spot on bikes and attackied Gopi with machetes before fleeing. Mylapore police sent his body to Royapettah Hospital for post-mortem.