Panchayat chief hacked to death
AIADMK village panchayat chief of Mannivakkam, near Tambaram, was hacked to death on Tuesday morning, just a few metres from the Otteri police station, by a gang of five.
Police said the victim, R. Purushothaman, 45, a resident of MGR Street in Mannivakkam, was returning home on his two-wheeler after morning walk around 5.30 am when an SUV hit him.
“As soon as he fell from the vehicle he became aware that occupants of the vehicle were after him to kill him. He ran to cross a ground so that he could take shelter in the Otteri police station.
Meanwhile, he hit a stone and fell on the ground. The gang that was following him attacked him with clubs and sickles and killed him on the spot,” the police said quoting witnesses.
After initial inquiry, the police noted that the murder was a result of political rivalry. By evening his rival Poki Krishnan, former deputy chief of the same panchayat, and five others surrendered at a court in Tiruvallur.
The police said that the deceased was a history-sheeter himself and was facing many criminal cases including two murder cases.
Over the past eight to 10 years, areas like Mannivakkam, Oorapakkam, and Chengalpet had witnessed nearly 20 murders in which either panchayat chiefs or their relatives were eliminated.
In Mannivakkam alone Ponurangam, former panchayat president, was murdered before Purushothaman.
At Oorapakkam, panchayat chiefs including Maneka and V.N.R. Kumar were murdered. At Chengalpet ‘Kurangu’ Kumar and Manidas (both panchayat presidents) were murdered.
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