Chennai | September 10, 2026
Chennai Police have arrested four people, including a history-sheeter, in connection with the Tiruvottiyur murder of a 26-year-old man who was allegedly chased and hacked to death by an unidentified gang. The arrests were announced by the Greater Chennai Police on September 10 in relation to a case registered at Tiruvottiyur Police Station.
The deceased was identified in the report as Pradeep Raj, a resident of West Mada Street in Tiruvottiyur. The attack reportedly took place a day after he filed a complaint seeking protection for himself and his family. Police have not publicly disclosed the identities of all four arrested persons or detailed the specific charges against each of them in the statement cited in the report.
According to the available account, Pradeep had approached the Tiruvottiyur police station and also submitted complaints at the Chennai Commissioner’s Office, the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and the Superintendent of Police’s office. He had allegedly told authorities that he faced a threat to his life.
In a video statement to the media recorded before his death, Pradeep made allegations concerning a financial dispute involving his family and another family identified in the report as the Navaneetham family. He alleged that his mother had taken a loan for another person and that the resulting dispute led to a counter-complaint against him and his arrest.
Pradeep also alleged that the Tiruvottiyur police inspector had threatened him during a conversation and that the inspector was supporting the other side in the dispute. He further claimed that he was assaulted after bringing a lawyer and said he had been told to approach Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay if he wanted to pursue a complaint. These allegations have not been independently established in the material available for this report.
The murder has triggered a political response in Tamil Nadu. DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi criticised the state government over what she described as continuing incidents of murder and robbery in Chennai. In a post on X, she questioned whether adequate action was being taken. Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also referred to the case, saying the victim had allegedly sought protection over moneylender harassment and had raised allegations of police threats.
The police announcement confirmed that four people, including a history-sheeter, had been arrested in the murder case. Further details about the investigation, the alleged motive, the sequence of the attack and the action taken on Pradeep’s earlier complaints were not provided in the source material. The case remains under investigation by Chennai Police.
