A gang hurled country bombs inside a petrol pump in Thiru Nagar in Villupuram district, killing a 50-year-old man, in a case of mistaken identity, on Tuesday morning.
The police identified the deceased as S. Srinivasan, a resident of Panruti in Cuddalore, who was working as manager at the fuel station.
According to police, a gang in a car reached the pump at around 11 a.m. and enquired whether the owner of the agency, Prakash, was available inside his cabin. After employees signalled the presence of the owner, the gang rushed into the office room and hurled three country bombs at Srinivasan, who happened to be the only person in the cabin. After he collapsed, the assailants attacked him with weapons killing him on the spot.
According to police, a few minutes before the arrival of the gang, Prakash had left in the car belonging to Srinivasan.
Police believed the real target of the gang was Prakash. Last year, the police had registered two cases against a history-sheeter, Azhar, for trying to extort ₹25 lakh from the petrol pump owner. When he refused to heed to the demand, the gang had created a ruckus inside the pump and had attempted to hurl country bombs at his house. In that attempt too, the gang had hurled the bombs at a neighbour’s house in Anandam Nagar near Thiru Nagar presuming that Mr Prakash stayed there.
The history-sheeter and his associates had been arrested then in connection with the incidents, police said, adding that Tuesday’s attempt was to take revenge on Prakash
Villupuram SP Jayakumar and forensic experts visited the spot.