32-year-old history sheeter hacked to death by gang

CHENNAI: A 32-year-old man, a history-sheeter, was hacked to death in public view on Friday night over previous enmity.

The deceased, Umar Batcha, a resident of Tsunami Quarters in Ernavoor ran a furniture retail business. On Friday evening, Batcha had paid a visit to the mosque in Bharathiyar Nagar and was returning home, when a gang intercepted him.

Sensing danger, Batcha abandoned his bike and took to his heels, but was chased by the gang and hacked to death, police said.

Passerby informed the police who secured Batcha’s body and sent it to Government Stanley hospital for autopsy.

Police sources said that the deceased had several pending cases against him, including murder and attempt to murder, and was also the aide of a notorious gangster in the neighbourhood. Police suspect it to be a revenge murder by the rival gangs. Previous enmity between the gangs and past crime records are also probed, police said.

Ennore police have registered a case and have launched a hunt for the suspects.