Chennai: Dalit politico brutally murdered, six held

The deceased was identified as Arivalagan, (45), resident of Pachaikal Veerasamy Housing Board tenements and Villivakkam unit functionary of Puratchi Bharatham, a Dalit outfit. He was standing in front of his house around 7 pm on Saturday when the gang hacked with sickles and swords. As neighbours rushed to his rescue after he had collapsed on the spot, the assailants took to their heels.

While fleeing, the gang tried to hitch a ride out from the locality in an autorickshaw. As the auto driver refused to ply the vehicle, the gang hacked him as well for his non-cooperation.

The auto driver, identified as Devaraj, (45), was rushed to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) where he is being treated for his injuries while Arivalagan who suffered multiple cut injuries died on the spot and his body was moved to KMCH for post-mortem.

Sources indicated that the deceased, who was into construction contracts, had preferred a complaint with Ayanavaram police in 2015 against Logu aka Yogaraj, (26), who is also from the same locality, for forcing him to pay ‘mamool’. Subsequenly, Logu was picked up and arrested.

“Logu was detained under Goondas Act for his behaviour twice. It has been only a month since his detention was set aside by the review board. Soon after he came out, he roped in his aides and plotted Arivalagan’s murder. Since the target is also from the same neighbourhood, Logu had little difficulty in executing his plan”, said a police official privy to the investigation.

“Based on inputs from the neighbours, we picked up Logu and his five aides. They confessed to having committed the murder to exact revenge against Arivalagan who became the primary reason behind Logu’s detention under Goondas”, the official noted.