AIADMK cadre hacked to death

Chennai: A 48-year-old AIADMK functionary was hacked to death by a gang in Red Hills on Sunday morning. Kottaisamy, joint-secretary of Amma Peravai, Sholavaram unit, and resident of Solaiyamman Nagar 8th street was drinking with his friends when he was murdered, police said.

Kottaisamy was drinking at Eeswaran Nagar, in Pammadukulam village, about 4 kms away from his home.

Around 11.30 am, a motorcycle borne gang reached the scene and rained blows on Kottaisamy with sickles and fled the scene. “They spared his friends and targeted only him,” said a police officer.

His friends rushed him to the Government Stanley Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Primary investigations have suggested that Kottaisamy’s strained relationship with the local panchayat chief and other civic body members over a land deal to be the motive behind the murder.

“A former panchayat chief of Nallur, Kottaisamy is also a realtor,” an investigating official said adding that he had earned quite a number of enemies recently over his quick success in the real estate business.

Further, there was an earlier attempt on Kottaisamy in June this year, in which a relative was injured.

Locals took to the road demanding that the cops arrest the accused before evening after the news of the murder spread in the locality.

Cops had to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Two persons have been detained in connection with the murder, police said. Red Hills police have registered a case of murder and are investigating.