Man beheaded outside Madurai church

Madurai: A youth was beheaded by an armed gang in broad daylight in Madurai town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The gang then threw the victim’s severed head outside Madurai’s St Mary’s Church.

The November 15 incident on a busy street in Kizhavasal was recorded on camera by a passerby.

The gang travelling in a car stopped Muruganandam from Uthangudi as he walking with his friend Muniasamy in St Mary’s Church junction.

Police sources said the gang intercepted the two. On seeing the gang, the two tried to escape. However, they chased Muruganantham and attacked him. As he died, the gang decapitated his head and placed it in front of the church.

His friend, who escaped with injuries, is currently undergoing treatment at a local government hospital. The deceased was identified as B Muruganandam, 22, from Solaiappan Nagar near Uthangudi.

His body was shifted to the same hospital for an autopsy. Since the incident took place at a busy junction, it created panic waves in the locality.

On hearing about the incident, police reached the spot and conducted an inquiry. Police have also seized the car that was allegedly used by the gang.

Meanwhile, a car with weapons was found abandoned on Bypass Road. Police suspect that it was the vehicle used by the murderers.

Police are yet to get clues on the murderers and motive behind it. Teams have been formed to trace the suspects. A case was registered with the Keerathurai police station and a detailed inquiry was underway.

Meanwhile a Jesuit priest in Madurai said the incident was in no way connected to the church. “This happened near the cathedral gate. It was due some group rivalry. Nothing connected to the church,” Father Arockiasamy Santhanam, secretary of the National Lawyers Forum of Religious and Priests, told Matters India November 16.

Sources: The Times of India, Indian Today