CHENNAI: A 26-year-old man who came to the city looking for a job abroad died of injuried sustained over a
road rage brawl at Poonamallee.
He was beaten up by three motorists on Monday and he died on Wednesday.
The police said N Hariram, of Sundarapandiapuram in Tenkasi, had come to the city a year ago and had rented a room with friends in Nambi Nagar, Poonamallee. On Monday, Hariram was riding his two-wheeler when he received a call.
In an attempt to answer the phone, he tried to stop the vehicle on the roadside but Hariram lost balance and rammed a bike coming from the opposite side. Residents of Poonamallee, Perumal, Sudhakar and Immanuel were riding triples on the other bike. According to eyewitnesses, in the impact, two pillion riders fell but did not sustain injuries. Hariram, however, apologised and tried to help the pillion riders.
While Hariram was about to leave, the trio picked up a quarrel with him, asking him to pay for the damage to the bike and the injury. Hariram refused as there was no visible damage. The trio tried to manhandle them and called him to the police station. “The issue took a violent turn when Hariram pointed out to them that triple riding was an offence and they would be penalised if they called police,” said an investigating officer quoting eyewitnesses. The three men got agitated and began abusing him.
They also threatened him that they would not allow him to live in the locality. Passerby tried to break off the fight and pacify them but failed and soon the quarrel led to fisticuffs. NHariram was pushed to the ground, when his head hit against a boulder on the road. He fell unconscious bleeding from his head.
Passerby rushed him to nearby private hospital. Hariram was admitted for two days and succumbed to head injuries on Wednesday morning. Police said that the Be graduate had applied for a job in Dubai and was to be called for an interview.
Police who initally registered an attempt to murder case altered the Section to 302 IPC (murder) and arrested Perumal, 24, Sudhakar, 35, and Immanuel, 29.
Representative image