Peelamedu police on Thursday detained three persons in connection with the murder of a lathe owner at Thottipalayam Pirivu in Coimbatore on Wednesday.
The police said the deceased, S. Soundar (23) of Boopathi Street, suffered a stab while trying to prevent an attack on his friend N. Elangovan (27).
One of the accused, Michael Antony (24), a resident of Cheran Ma Nagar and an autorickshaw driver, had borrowed ₹38,100 from Mr. Elangovan’s mother N. Bagyalakshmi (46) when he was a tenant in her house at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar at Thottipalayam Pirivu.
Michael vacated the house after Ms. Bagyalakshmi insisted on it because he was being a nuisance.
The police said the woman asked Michael to return the remaining portion of the borrowed money and this led to a dispute between him and Mr. Elangovan.
Michael came to Ms. Bagyalakshmi’s house along with his friends on Wednesday and picked up a quarrel with Mr. Elangovan. Soundar and Mr. Elangovan’s friends R. Arun (28) and S. Kribakaran (19) were present.
According to the police, Ragini (32), a transgender who came with Michael, assaulted Mr. Elangovan with a wooden log. As Soundar, Mr. Arun and Mr. Kribakaran tried to block Ragini, Michael stabbed Soundar with a knife, and escaped with the others who had come with him.
The police said that Michael, Ragini and another transgender named Venba (23) were detained on Thursday.
