Chennai: A 35-year-old history-sheeter was brutally hacked to death by an unidentified gang on Wednesday at Nasiyanur, along the Salem-Coimbatore National Highway in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.
The victim, identified as John alias Chanakya, was a resident of SMC Colony in Kitchipalayam, Salem city.
The attack occurred while he was traveling with his wife, Saranya, from Salem to Tiruppur in their car. A gang, following the couple in two cars, rammed into their vehicle and forced it to a stop at Nasiyanur. As John halted the car, the assailants attacked him with machetes, inflicting fatal injuries. He died on the spot. Saranya attempted to intervene but sustained injuries to her hand. She was rushed to a private hospital in the area for treatment.
Police sources confirmed that John had multiple criminal cases against him, including attempted murder, at various police stations in Salem district. He had recently moved to Periya Palayam in Tiruppur district, where he was running a vehicle loan finance company.
He was returning from the Annadanapatti police station in Salem, where he had gone for routine legal formalities when the incident happened. The brutal attack caused panic among motorists on the highway.
Erode Superintendent of Police G. Jawahar upon receiving the information reached the spot. According to the police, the murder was carried out by an eight-member gang.
While attempting to apprehend the suspects, officers opened fire, injuring four of them. They were arrested and are currently receiving treatment at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Perundurai.
They will be shifted to Coimbatore Government Hospital for further medical care. The remaining four suspects managed to escape, and a manhunt has been launched to track them down.
The body of John was sent to the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital in Perundurai for post-mortem.
John’s murder is the latest in a string of violent killings involving history-sheeters in Tamil Nadu. On Tuesday, former Tamil Nadu police sub-inspector Zakhir Hussein Bijli (64) was hacked to death in Tirunelveli. He was returning home on his motorcycle after morning prayers when a four-member gang intercepted him near Kaatchi Mandapam and brutally killed him using sharp weapons.
On March 16, two history-sheeters, Arun Kumar (25) and Padappai Suresh (25), were also hacked to death in what police described as a gang rivalry attack.
In another incident of violence, on March 11, another history sheeter, Vasoolraja (30), was killed in Kancheepuram after a gang hurled a country-made bomb at him. The explosion, which struck his chest, resulted in his immediate death. He had more than 20 criminal cases against him and had recently been released on bail.
The recent surge in violent crimes has raised concerns over Tamil Nadu’s law and order.
Opposition parties, including AIADMK, BJP, and PMK, have criticized the ruling DMK government, alleging a failure to control criminal activities. AIADMK leader and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami condemned the spate of murders, stating, “There is no need for me to explain the pathetic law-and-order situation under the DMK government.”
BJP Tamil Nadu chief K. Annamalai alleged that law and order had “collapsed” to such an extent that even a former police officer had been murdered in broad daylight.
PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss also expressed serious concerns over the escalating violence in the state.
(IANS)
