Man murders friend in drunken brawl

CHENNAI: In a drunken brawl, a 44-year-old man from Madurai assaulted his friend to death on Saturday night and slept besides his body on the sidewalks in Pallavaram. On waking up and realising that he had committed murder, he surrendered at the local police station.

The deceased was identified as M Chinnadurai (29) of Muthalamman koil street in Pallavaram. He works as a painter. On Saturday night, Chinnadurai and his friend, G Raja (44), also a painter, were consuming liquor in front of a hardware store in Bajanai Koil street.

Police investigations revealed that the two of them had a verbal duel while drinking and exchanged blows. As the fight got intense, Raja picked up a stone from the roadside and smashed it on Chinnadurai’s face.

As he fell down unconscious, Raja too slept. Only on waking up, he saw his friend lying in a pool of blood and surrendered before Pallavaram police.

Police secured Chinnadurai’s body and sent it to government hospital for autopsy. Raja was booked on charges of murder. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.