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A fatal car crash that killed a 19-year-old college student in Chennai’s Thirumangalam has been confirmed to be a case of premeditated murder. The police have arrested four persons, including the grandson of a DMK councillor, after CCTV footage and witness statements revealed that the car was intentionally rammed into the two-wheeler carrying the victim.
The incident occurred late on Monday night, July 28, near School Road, close to the Thirumangalam police station in Anna Nagar. Nithin Sai, a third-year English literature student from a college in Mylapore and a resident of Otteri, was returning home after celebrating his friend Mohan’s birthday. He was riding pillion on a two-wheeler driven by his friend Abhishek, when a car approached from the opposite direction and knocked them down. While Abhishek sustained serious injuries, Nithin died on the spot.
According to reports, the car had four passengers who sped away immediately after the collision. Two of Nithin's other friends, Venkatesan and Mohan, who were riding on another bike ahead of them, returned to the spot after the crash and alerted the police. Abhishek was taken to a nearby private hospital, while Nithin’s body was sent to the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for postmortem.
Initially, the police registered the incident as a road accident. However, CCTV footage accessed by the police showed that the two-wheeler was riding along the left side of the road when the car crossed over and deliberately rammed into it.
Following protests by the victim’s family and friends outside the Kilpauk GH and the Thirumangalam police station demanding justice, the case was transferred from the Traffic Investigation Wing to the Thirumangalam Law and Order Police. The victim’s relatives also refused to accept Nithin’s body until arrests were made.
Reports suggest that Venkatesan, one of Nithin's friends, was in a relationship with a Class 12 student. The girl had allegedly spoken about it to her friend Pranav, who is believed to have been with Chandru—the main accused and the grandson of KK Nagar DMK councillor Dhanasekaran.
The group of accused had reportedly confronted Venkatesan, Nithin, and Abhishek earlier that evening, which escalated into the targeted attack later that night.
On Wednesday night, July 30, Chandru and three others were arrested. Councillor Dhanasekaran appeared at the police station to surrender his grandson Chandru. The police have filed charges under five sections, including murder, against Chandru, Pranav, and other members of the group.