Four persons have been taken by police for interrogation in connection with the brutal murder of three persons by an armed gang at Chintamani Pudur last night.

The entire city witnessed tense moments on Wednesday night following the gruesome murder of three suspected convicts out on bail by unidentified miscreants. Traffic snarls on the arterial Avinashi Road disrupted vehicular movements for over two hours inconveniencing people.

Three persons travelling in a car were hacked to death in public view on Tiruchi Road near the Bypass Road Junction on Wednesday night. The driver escaped with serious cut injuries.

In what is said to be a case of revenge, police said a group of people, who arrived in several vehicles, intercepted a car carrying Loly Manikandan, Vadamalai Ayyappan and Ramaraj. Gunshots were fired to stop the vehicle and the three passengers along with driver Ravi (43) were hacked by the group.

Quoting eyewitnesses, police said that everything happened in full view of the public, when the traffic was high. The group had fled the scene after the attack.

According to police, Loly Manikandan was one of the 12 accused arrested in connection with the murder of a lawyer in Thiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur district on April 3, 2015. From Tiruchi prison he was transferred to Cuddalore, and then brought to Coimbatore Central Prison. He had come out on bail on Wednesday.

Ramaraj, another accused, is said to have come out of the Coimbatore Central Prison on bail on Tuesday. Vadamalai Ayyappan had brought driver Raja to pick them up.

The car used by the victims was filled with bloodstains and the windshield had two holes caused by the bullets.

Police have formed special teams to investigate the case. Highway patrol vehicles were put on alert and vehicle checks were stepped up to look out for the gang.

The shocking act and the subsequent investigations at the scene of crime resulted in chaotic passenger and pedestrian activity and resulted in a traffic jam for hours.

Meanwhile, driver Ravi (43), with bullet injuries near the chest, is recovering after a surgery
in a private hospital, police said.

Police managed to intercept a car in the early hours of Thursday in Palladam in nearby Tirupur district and have taken four persons for interrogation. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident was an internal fight in a political party and a case of retaliation for the murder of a lawyer Raja in Thiruvidaimarudhur in Thanjavur in April last.

The four, hailing from Thiruvidaimarudhur, were handed over to rural police, for further
interrogation, they said.