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VCK functionary Balamurugan, 40, hacked to death at a Thoothukudi petrol bunk; road blockade by relatives
Balamurugan, 40, a Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi functionary, was hacked to death by a gang at a Thoothukudi petrol bunk on 1 November. Police suspect an earlier dispute over a banner. Relatives blocked a road demanding arrests, and heavy police have been deployed.
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A functionary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, identified as Balamurugan, 40, was hacked to death by an armed gang at a petrol bunk on Davispuram Road in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, on the morning of Sunday, 1 November. He died instantly from his injuries, police said. Four special teams have been formed to trace the attackers, who fled, and relatives and party workers blocked a road demanding their arrest.
What happened
Balamurugan, from Sottaiyan Thoppu in Mappillaiurani village panchayat, ran a vegetable shop and also worked as a van driver, police said. After unloading vegetables at his shop he went to the petrol bunk to refuel his two-wheeler. An armed gang attacked him there, hacked him to death and fled. The District Superintendent of Police, R. Siva Prasad, inspected the scene and began preliminary inquiries.
The motive
Police suspect that previous enmity over the placement of a digital banner for a recent event in the locality was the motive, according to one report. Another report says that initial inquiries suggest he had a dispute with some people from Thoothukudi over a banner he was putting up for a house function. This has not been confirmed, and police have not announced a motive.
The reports differ on his status. Some describe him as a functionary of the VCK, and the Tamil dailies Daily Thanthi and Minnambalam call him a former functionary. The VCK's own statement is not carried in the reports found.
Relatives and local residents staged a road blockade on Rameswaram Road, demanding the immediate arrest of the assailants. The killing caused tension and panic in the area, and a heavy police force has been deployed to maintain order and prevent further incidents. One report says four special teams have been formed to nab the culprits, though another report does not mention special teams.
One report notes that nine other murders were reported across Tuticorin district in the past week, which makes the killing part of a series of violent crimes that has raised concern about law and order in the district. The reports found do not give the details of those cases or say whether any of them are linked.
The reports found do not name any suspect and do not mention any arrest. They do not say how many people were in the gang or whether the attackers used a vehicle. They do not carry a statement from the Tamil Nadu government or from the VCK, and they do not say whether the post-mortem has been completed or when the funeral will take place.
The details in the reports come mostly from Tamil-language coverage and early police accounts, and they may change as the investigation proceeds.
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