A 44-year-old advocate was hacked to death by four unidentified men in full public view in a residential area in Kodambakkam on Sunday.
Police said C Murugan, an advocate at the Madras High Court, was a resident of Choolaimedu, a town near Chennai. On Sunday, at around 1.30 PM, he had gone to Kodambakkam in his car to look for a house on rent.
The advocate alighted from his car and walked towards Ashtapathy apartment on Sixth Cross Street in Kodambakkam. Before he could enter the premises, a four-member gang, which arrived on two bikes, confronted him.
Murugan was dragged to the road and attacked with sickles even as eyewitnesses at the spot ran for cover. He sustained multiple injuries and collapsed. The four men escaped from the scene of the crime on their bikes. Police rushed to the spot and took Murugan to Government Royapettah Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Murugan is survived by his wife Logeshwari and two children. Police sources said that a group of three men threatened the advocate a few days back and warned that he would be bumped off. "He decided to look for a new house following the threat," they added.
"We have formed special teams to nab the accused," said an investigating officer.
Police have taken CCTV footage from a nearby hardware shop and a bank ATM to trace the suspects. They have also seized Murugan's phone and are checking his call records. Kodambakkam police have registered a case under IPC section 302 (murder) and are trying to establish the motive behind the killing.
