2, including minor, held for hacking boy to death

MADURAI: Police arrested two people, including a minor, on Saturday for allegedly murdering a Class 12 student near the busy Tirunelveli junction on Friday evening.
The deceased P Venkatesh, 17, from Padukaiyur near Vallanadu area, was staying in a state Adi Dravidar welfare hostel near the junction. He was a student of a school, nearby.
Police said Venkatesh was standing in a queue for dinner at the hostel when a person approached him and asked him to come out of the hostel.When Venkatesh came out he saw another person waiting outside the hostel. Upon seeing him, Venkatesh tried to run into the hostel but the duo caught hold of him and hacked him to death.
On hearing his screams, the hostel warden and other students rushed to spot only to find Venkatesh's lifeless body. On information, police reached the spot and conducted investigation. The body was sent to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for postmortem. They later registered a complaint.
Investigation revealed that Venkatesh had prior enmity with a fellow student from Alaganeri in Thatchanallur area in Tirunelveli, over a girl in the school. A gang had attacked Venkatesh with sickles during Diwali but he managed to escape.
Police sources said while Venkatesh belonged to scheduled caste community, the accused belonged to a caste hindu community. On Friday evening, the two had a fight over the same issue. Following this the accused minor approached his friend Selva Vinoth from Srivaikundam area and the duo decided to murder Venkatesh.
A police team secured the minor and his friend Selva Vinoth on Saturday.
The minor accused will be produced before the juvenile justice board.