Youth murdered by gang near Cheyyar

A 21-year-old welder was murdered by a gang near a lake at Poondipattu village near Cheyyar town in Tiruvannamalai on Tuesday.

Police said the deceased has been identified as Mohammed Afsal, a native of Purasai village near Cheyyar. He was working in a workshop at Tiruttani town in Thiruvallur district for the past few months. As he did not return home for many weeks, Mohammed Basha, 62, Afsal’s father, complained to Cheyyar Town police, who launched a search hunt for the youth.

Investigation revealed that Afsal got addicted to ganja in recent weeks, after he came in contact with ganja peddlers in Tiruttani and surrounding areas. He was also involved in drug peddling in Cheyyar town to supplement his income from welding works.

Meanwhile, a few farmers in Poondipattu village near Cheyyar complained of foul smell from the lake in the village to Moranam police, who inspected the spot and found the body of Afsal dumped near a borewell in the dry portion of the lake. Police found injuries marks in the body of Afsal. Body was sent to Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvannamalai for postmortem. A case was registered and further probe is under way.