4 held for cab driver murder; Search on for 3 others in Chennai

CHENNAI: City Police on Monday arrested four persons in connection with the murder of a 26-year-old cab driver near Kilpauk on Saturday night. The deceased, R Karna alias Karunakaran was murdered in retaliation to him assaulting to a rowdy, Yona, in public view at a funeral six months ago.

Police arrested Yona’s associates - S Arjun (23), K Mathew Joseph (24), M Vasanthakumar (23), G Akash (22).

Karunakaran was living at Kuttiyappan street in Kilpauk. Police investigations revealed that he was walking along Sanniyasapuram main road when a gang rounded him up and started pelting stones at him.

One of them had smashed a boulder across Karunakaran’s face after which he swooned to the ground.

Passerby who saw the man lying in a pool of blood moved him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Secretariat Colony Police secured Karunakaran’s body and moved it to a government hospital for post Mortem. Police investigations revealed that Karunakaran himself had criminal cases against him and he had come out on bail in March in connection with an attempt to murder case.

In November last year, Karunakaran and his friends had assaulted a local rowdy, Yona at a funeral in their locality. Yona had suffered a fracture in his leg because of the attack.

The arrested persons were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.

Police have launched a search for Yona and two others