Interrogation resulted in police recovering bodies of two more persons, including the jail warden from a farm near Ariyur on Wednesday morning. The deceased were identified as Jail warden Thanigaivel (26), Kamesh (29) and Divakar (25).

The arrested were identified as Ariyur Raja (37), Rohit Kumar (31), Raja (37), Umamaheswaran (39), Vellakada Logesh (22), Anand (24) and Sunil (39) all from various localities in Vellore.

The gang hacked Kamesh due to rivalry near a fuel outlet in Ariyur. Kamesh succumbed after admission to Vellore Government Medical College. Bagayam police registered a case and started a probe.

The gang was nabbed immediately by Bagayam inspector Subha during a vehicle check ordered by Vellore SP L Selvakumar after the incident. During interrogation, the gang admitted to have murdered two more identified as Divakar and Thanigaivel, the jail warden, whom they took to GR Palayam on the pretext of consuming alcohol.

The gang then forced Divakar to call Kamesh to come to the fuel outlet. However, a heated argument ensued after the call in which the gang hacked both Divakar and Thanigaivel to death and hacked Kamesh near the fuel outlet. Police suspect that murders took place following reports that the deceased were leaking information about rowdy Raja alias ‘MLA’ Raja to the rival gang.