Chennai, May 19 (IANS): The Greater Chennai Police has launched a hunt for four killers of a city-based financier.

Arumugham, 36, who was a small-time financier in Chennai was riding pillion with his staff Ramesh, when a four-member gang waylaid them on two motorbikes and assaulted them. Ramesh managed to ride away, but Arumugham could not. He tried to run away when the four men chased and hacked him to death. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at the busy Aminjikarai area of Chennai.

Arumugham, according to police, had some cases against him and used to pester people who were not properly paying him interest. He had also misbehaved with some women in the past and police is probing whether these are connected with his murder.

The police have formed four squads and are probing the movement of history-sheeters and gangs operating in the area and surrounding locations to shed light on the case.

The state police team investigating the crime studied CCTV visuals in the surrounding areas and short listed a few people with known criminal records.

The Greater Chennai Police is also probing whether these four were employed by someone else to execute the crime or whether they had done this on their own.

A high-level meeting was held at the insistence of the police commissioner. The team has rounded up a few people and is questioning those close to the financier. The police is meticulously studying his financial dealings. They are also suspecting some employees of Arumagham's firm and few others who had left the firm after falling out with him.

A senior officer with Chennai police told IANS, "We are zeroing in on the culprits and will inform you as soon as we nab them."