Chennai, July 28:
Three students of Pachaiyappa’s College have been arrested in connection with a shocking attack on two fellow students inside the Central Metro station subway in Periyamedu.
The victims, Nitish Kumar (18), a second-year BSc student from Thirumullaivoyal, and a 17-year-old first-year BCom student from Tiruvallur district, were on their way to college when the incident occurred. As they walked through the subway at Chennai Central Metro station, a gang of around 15 unidentified youths armed with knives allegedly chased and attacked them.
According to police, the assailants first damaged CCTV cameras in the area before launching the brutal assault. Both students sustained severe head injuries, prompting bystanders to alert authorities. The injured were rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for treatment.
Periyamedu police registered a case and launched an investigation, examining CCTV footage from nearby areas. Subsequently, seven students were detained near VR Mall in Thirumangalam and handed over to the Periyamedu police for questioning.
Following interrogation, three accused—Sarathkumar (19), a first-year BA History student from Tiruttani, Pragatheesh (18), a first-year BCom student from Ranipet, and Bhuvaneswaran (19), a second-year BA Economics student from Arakkonam—were arrested.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the attack stemmed from a “route thala” rivalry among students, and the accused were reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
Police sources indicated that routine surveillance to prevent student clashes may have been lacking despite colleges reopening over a month ago. Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other members of the gang involved in the attack.