CHENNAI: Three days after a 22-year-old man was hacked to death by his girlfriend's family in front of her eyes in Puzhal, police arrested five people, including the woman's husband.

The victim S Sudha Chandar who was living with his former girlfriend, Ragini, was hacked to death by a gang when the two were travelling in a motorbike. The accused were identified as Vasanth (25), (Ragini's husband), Bharath Robin (21), Sushmitha (28), her cousins, Udhairaj (30), her uncle and an autorickshaw driver Karthik (25).

In her complaint to the police Ragini had mentioned that her husband and mother were also present when the gang hacked Chandar to death. However, police after investigation found that her mother knew about the plan but was not present physically at the scene of crime. "She was on a call with her son. The gang knocked down the vehicle. While Sushmitha held on to Ragini, the others hacked Chandar to death," police noted. The family decided to kill Sudha Chandar as they believed that Ragini's abandonment was a matter of dishonor.

Ragini who was in a relationship with Chandar was forcibly married to Vasanth from Oragadam three years ago. Ragini, who was with a toddler, left her husband after alleged physical torture and started to stay with Chandar, her teenage sweet heart in Puzhal.