Police have arrested five members of a hired gang in Krishnagiri for attempting to murder a man released on bail in the Tenkasi AIADMK leader Veliyappan murder case.
The gang, armed with machetes and a petrol can, chased the victim near the Krishnagiri New Bus Stand late last night. Acting swiftly, Inspector Venkatesh Prabhu and sub-inspectors Anbazhagan and Ganesh nabbed all five suspects before they could attack.
Police identified the target as Muthuraj, one of the accused in the August 2024 murder of AIADMK functionary Veliyappan of Melaneelidanallur village near Sankarankovil in Tenkasi district. After being released on bail, he was working at a TASMAC outlet in Alandur, Chennai.
Investigations revealed that Karthik (26), Veliyappan’s brother, had allegedly plotted revenge and hired four others — Karthikraj (20) of Kalpadam, Ganesan (22) of Thoothukudi, Surya (20) of Kovilpatti, and Karthikeyan (22) of Srinivasan Nagar — to execute the attack.
Police said the gang had been tracing Muthuraj for two months before cornering him in Krishnagiri. All five have been produced before court and remanded in judicial custody.
