Student's murder: Man who gave gun to youth surrenders

Chennai: Perumattunallur Selvam , the history-sheeter who gave the pistol to teenager Vijay, who used it to kill his friend Mukesh at his house on November 5, surrendered before a magistrate court in Theni on Monday. Vijay had surrendered before a court in Chengalpet on November 6.

A police team from Thalambur has rushed to Theni to inquire Selvam and will file a separate petition with a court in Chengalpet to question him in their custody.

Police, granted custody of Vijay by a Chengalpet court, retrieved the pistol he had hidden at a friend’s house. Vijay told police he had gunned down Mukesh after he refused to join the Selvam-led gang .

An officer said Selvam, a resident of Perumattunallur near Kelambakkam, handed over the pistol to Vijay as police were hot on his heels. Vijay strutted around the area with the weapon, terrorising people, he added.

Based on a request from the son of an AIADMK worker called Ravi, Selvam formed a gang to provide protection to Ravi after some miscreants hurled petrol bombs at his house in December 2018.

Selvam roped in Vijay, involved in a couple of robbery cases, after promising to get him off the hook in some cases with Ravi’s help. Selvam then asked Vijay to recruit some of his friends. He approached Mukesh with the offer and shot him when he refused, the officer said.