AIADMK civic chief hacked to death in Erode, three held

According to police, Chinnathangam alias Radhakrishnan (45), who was elected president of Sangarapalayam panchayat, was standing along the roadside near a school in the morning. 

“Then, a speeding car with a Karnataka registration number came to a halt near him. Four persons armed with sickles got down from the car.

Anticipating trouble, the panchayat chief took to his heels. However, the assailants chased and attacked him before escaping in their car,” the police said.

Shocked on seeing the attack, people ran helter-skelter, while shops downed shutters in the neighbourhood. 

The villagers then took Radhakrishnan, who was battling for life in a critical condition, to Anthiyur Government Hospital. He was then taken to a private hospital in Coimbatore, but he died on the way.

On receiving information, the Anthiyur police retrieved the body of the deceased and sent it for a post-mortem at Anthiyur GH. The police were alerted across the district on the culprits, who were then nabbed within a few hours in Dharmapuri district.

During a vehicle check near Dharmapuri bus stop, the police intercepted a car to stop. The four persons got off the car and tried to run away.

However, the police managed to nab the three persons identified as Saravanan, Balamurugan and Rajesh from Chennai.

The police also seized the car and weapons used for the murder, while a search is on to nab one Siva involved in the murder. 

Investigation by the police revealed that the panchayat chief was murdered in revenge for his involvement in the murder of one Sekar at Sangarapalayam in 2013.

The deceased AIADMK functionary is survived by his wife Sumathi (40) and two daughters aged 22 and 15. Further investigations are on.

A DMK functionary has been hacked to death by a five-member masked gang near Hosur in Krishnagiri district.

Police sources said the deceased, Mansoor Ali (49), a member of the Minorities Wing of the DMK, was hacked to death by masked men when he finished his night walk after dinner at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School ground on Sunday.

He is also the deputy convener of the DMK’s district north zone wing in Hosur. Mansoor was among over 50 walkers in the ground when the incidenttook place. 

After completing his walk, Mansoor was sitting on a bench to rest, when the gang surrounded him and hacked him in front of other walkers.

He suffered multiple cut injuries on his body and was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Mansoor Ali was involved in real estate and finance businesses.

A bid on his life was made in 2014, when he, along with his friend John Basha, a local real estate owner, were kidnapped for ransom. This was also done during their evening walk. Mansoor Ali and John Basha were stabbed multiple times, before the police arrested the kidnappers and rescued them.

While John Basha died of injuries in a private hospital in Bengaluru, Mansoor had recovered after undergoing prolonged treatment in the hospital. 

Special teams were formed to nab the killers and ascertain the reason for the murder. Tension prevailed in the area following the incident.