CHENNAI: A year after a hotel owner denied free biryani to a gang, got a case booked against its members and police detained an accused under the Goondas Act, a three-member gang chased and hacked him, at Thirumazhisai in Tiruvallur on Sunday night.
The victim, Maharajan, and Arunachalapandian run a hotel at Thirumazhisai. On April 18, last year, a gang of four men asked Arunachalapandian to give them free biriyani for their 'big brother' Ebinezer alias Ebi. Ebi is involved in a few criminal cases. Arunachalapandian and Maharajan, told them that biriyani was not available as several orders were pending.
The gang members then threatened them with dire consequences and left the place after taking his phone number. Soon after Arunachalapandian reached home, he received a call from Ebi, who again threatened him. Within a couple of minutes, an eight-member gang hurled petrol filled bottles at the house and damaged the hotel.
Based on a complaint from Arunachalapandian the Thirumazhisai police arrested Ebinezer, 34, and eight other accomplices including Sathish, 22, Velan, 20, Tirupathy, 21, Christopher, 20, Palani, 20, Bharathiraja, 21 and Sathish, 26. Since Ebinezer was involved in several criminal cases and continued to indulge in other anti-social activities, he was detained under the Goondas Act.
Meanwhile three of his aides on Sunday came to the hotel looking for Arunachalapandian and spotted Maharajan. They chased and hacked him. After people started gathering, the gang escaped on bikes. Maharajan was rushed to a private hospital where his condition remains to be critical. Police have launched a hunt for the three.
