Chennai: Investigation officials have cracked the murder case of a painter at Perumbakkam in less than 36 hours and arrested nine ganja peddlers from Choolaimedu last night in connection with the murder.
In what seems to be an act of vengeance, an unidentified gang hacked Rajesh, a drug peddler, to death near his residence on 30 July. The police said, “Rajesh a resident of Perumbakkam had tipped off the local police about a rival gang.”
Coming to know about this, Raji, a rival group member picked up a fight with the deceased. “Rajesh assaulted Raji with a sickle and was facing a murder attempt charge at Choolaimedu police station,” police added. This nurtured enmity with the rival gang, who later took the opportunity to strike him on the fateful day.
A special team attached to Perumbakkam police station began investigation with the aid of CCTV footages, and subsequently, acting on a tip-off, arrested Raji (39), Rajesh (36), Iman (27), Raja (28), Vijaya Kumar (29), Prasad (31), Mohammad John (37), Kumaresan and Sivalingam (39), and remanded them in custody.