Three men kill youth, dump body in Puzhal Lake

A 21-year-old man was allegedly hacked to death by three of his friends following a quarrel while consuming alcohol near the Puzhal Lake on Monday night. The accused allegedly attempted to burn the body before dumping it in the lake.The police said Thirumalai, 28, a bakery shop owner from Anna Indira Nagar in Shanmugapuram near Ambattur, and Mukundhan, 21, of Pasumpon Nagar, Kallikuppam, had gone to the banks of Puzhal Lake near Anna Sathya Nagar to consume liquor.While they were drinking, Thirumalai called two of his friends to join them to which Mukundhan reportedly objected. A quarrel broke out between Mukundhan and Thirumalai’s friends, following which the three allegedly assaulted Mukundhan. He retaliated, leading to a further escalation.The police said Thirumalai, alias Sanjay, allegedly took out a knife he had kept concealed and attacked Mukundan. Two of his accomplices also allegedly assaulted Mukundhan and pushed him to the ground. He sustained severe injuries and died.The trio panicked and tried to burn the body using the mattress on which they had been sitting. After the attempt failed, they allegedly carried the body to the lake and dumped it and fled, police sources said.On Tuesday morning, the public alerted the police after spotting an unidentified body floating near the banks of the lake. The police recovered the body, which had cut injuries and burn marks, and sent it to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem.Based on the injuries, the police launched an investigation. Thirumalai alias Sanjay and two juveniles were subsequently apprehended and questioned. The police said Thirumalai was previously involved in cases relating to assault and had also faced complaints alleging the sale of narcotic tablets. Published - October 01, 2026 12:36 am IST