Two youths were hacked to death following a clash during an Aadi festival at a Mariamman temple in Padunelli village near Kancheepuram in the early hours of Monday. Kancheepuram police have arrested five persons in connection with the double murder, as reported in The Hindu.
The deceased were identified as V. Neelakandan, 26, and S. Chandru, 26, both residents of Padunelli.
According to police, the incident occurred during the Aadi festival celebrations at the village Mariamman Temple on Sunday night. Cultural programmes had been organised as part of the festivities, and a group of youths reportedly gathered near the loudspeaker system and played gaana songs at high volume.
A dispute broke out after Neelakandan and Chandru objected to the music. Police personnel deployed for festival security intervened and dispersed the two groups.
Investigators said the dispute later escalated. Police suspect that the victims had intervened in the earlier altercation and allegedly slapped members of the rival group.
Later, when Neelakandan and Chandru were sitting on an agricultural field near their homes, a group of men allegedly arrived armed with sickles and knives. The attackers chased and repeatedly hacked the two men, killing them on the spot.
The double murder triggered tension in the village, with relatives and residents alleging that the police had failed to prevent the violence despite the earlier confrontation. Residents staged a protest and initially prevented police from removing the bodies.
Following negotiations that continued for nearly 16 hours, police shifted the bodies to Chengalpet Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Kancheepuram District Superintendent of Police Arvind visited the village and reviewed the investigation. Police initially formed three special teams to trace the suspects.
The investigation also indicated that there had been previous enmity between the victims and the accused. Police are examining whether the dispute over the loudspeaker music triggered the murders or whether the attack was linked to an existing rivalry.
Police subsequently arrested five persons near Arakkonam on Tuesday in connection with the case. The accused were identified as Bagavathi, 26, Giri, 22, Pushparaj, 29, Kalaiselvan, 19, and Nagaraj, 21.
Police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation into the circumstances leading to the attack.
TWO YOUTHS HACKED TO DEATH AFTER CLASH DURING TEMPLE FESTIVAL NEAR KANCHEEPURAM
Two youths were hacked to death in Padunelli village near Kancheepuram in the early hours of Monday after a dispute during a temple festival escalated into a deadly attack. Police launched a manhunt… pic.twitter.com/5ePOlYaPeG
— A Selvaraj (@Crime_Selvaraj) August 17, 2026
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