Thanjavur: Gang kills youth, decapitates head

Thanjavur: In what appears like a revenge murder that took place here on Wednesday, the head of the victim, Prakash (23) of Pattukottai, was chopped off by assailants at Pattukottai in the district.

According to police, the  culprits took the chopped head to a tea shop located on the Thanjavur road, and after piercing it twice with sharp weapons, fled the place on two-wheelers.

Prakash, a worker who used to de-husk coconuts, was arrested by police in August along with six others in  connection with the murder of one Thamba Karthi (23), a rowdy sheeter. The seven were lodged in the Tiruchy jail, and they came out on conditional bail that they should sign at the Pattukottai police station. Usually, the seven used to hire a mini-van to the police station and go as a group for signing the register. On Wednesday, the group was returning in the van after signing the register.

As the van was nearing Sembirankulam area on the Thanjavur road, a group, said to be associates of Thamba Karthi, were waiting on two-wheelers armed with sharp weapons. On noticing the group, the van driver diverted the vehicle into a lane that branched out from the main road, and tried to speed away. But, the group chased them on their  two-wheelers.

While  suddenly, Prakash fell down from the van, the others escaped. The group  murdered Prakash and decapitated his head. Superintendent of police, Thanjavur dt, Senthil Kumar probed on the spot.  Search is on for the culprits.