Tirunelveli: An ITI studentITI student was beheaded by a five-member gang at Melakadayanallur in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday night. The deceased has been identified as K Murugan,17, of Sudalaimaadan Koil Street in Kadayanallur. He was a first year student in the Government ITI at Veerakeralampudur.

According to police, Murugan, who was with his friends had questioned the accused for riding their motorcycles in a rash and negligent manner. This broke out into an argument and led to the murder. The incident came to light only on Friday morning.

Murugan and his friends, Chellathurai, Gopi and Vinod, were sitting on the platform of Servarayan Koil near the village. Late on Thursday evening, Muthu, Periyasamy, Thangapandian, Muthukaradi and a 17-year-old boy of the same village came there on their two-wheelers. They accidentally rubbed against Murugan and his friends.

Murugan and his friends stopped the motorcyclists and questioned them for riding their two-wheelers in a rash manner and posing a threat to them and other villagers. According to police, previous enmity prevailed between the two groups and this took their argument into a clash. Thangapandian bit Gopi, leaving the latter bleeding.

Chellathurai and Vinod took Gopi to the hospital, leaving Murugan alone at Servarayan Koil. When his friends left, the gang beheaded Murugan. Leaving the body and head at the temple the accused fled the place. But the family and friends of the victim were clueless about the murder.

His friends assumed that Murugan had gone home. On Friday morning, the family went in search of him and found his dead body in the temple.

The Kadayanallur police retrieved the body and head and sent it to the government hospital for postmortem. During inquiry, police nabbed Periyasamy, Muthukaradi and a 17-year-old boy.

Search was on for their accomplices Muthu and Muthukaradi. Police sources said that after inquiry the 17-year-old accused would be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and lodged in the juvenile home.

