The victim has been identified as Mahalingam. The police describes the victim as a prominent local criminal, wanted in six murder cases, released on bail.
Armed with rocks, two men stand above a bleeding man, poised to strike the next blow. His head is pooled in blood (mosaic-ed by NDTV in these photos). A crowd watches, some with expressions of consternation.
The victim, identified as Mahalingam, seen lying on the road in an orange lungi, died. Two photographs of the suspects holding the rocks led to their arrest in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, about 200 kms from the state capital of Chennai. The suspects, named Tamil Mani and Gokul, are the sons of a man who owns an engineering college in the area; they are also reportedly part of a gang.
The suspects are the sons of a man who owns an engineering college in the area.
Their uncle, Ramesh, was reportedly killed by Mahalingam two years ago. The police describes the victim as a prominent local criminal, wanted in six murder cases, released on bail.
Police have also arrested three sons of Ramesh and another relative in connection with the crime.
The incriminating photos were taken allegedly by associates of the two main murder suspects who wanted the moment captured as "a trophy", said police sources.