5 Held for Murder of VCK Functionary in Thoothukkudi
The Police apprehended all five suspects within six hours of the incident after reviewing CCTV footage from the fuel station
Thoothukkudi: Five people, including a DMK functionary, have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of a VCK functionary at a petrol pump here, police said on Monday.
The Police apprehended all five suspects within six hours of the incident after reviewing CCTV footage from the fuel station.
The deceased, Balamurugan (40), was a former VCK union secretary for Ottapidaram who ran a vegetable shop and worked as a van driver.
According to the police, the murder was the fallout of a dispute over the placement of flex banners on the Sottaiyan Thoppu main road.
The fatal attack occurred around 6 am on November 1. Balamurugan had gone to a fuel outlet on Sethupathi Road to refuel his two-wheeler when a five-member gang arriving on two motorcycles surrounded him. They hacked him with sickles, and he died on the spot.
The Thalamuthunagar police recovered the body and sent it to the Tuticorin Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Based on a complaint filed by Balamurugan's wife, Sudha, a case was registered at the Thalamuthunagar police station.
The incident triggered tension in the highly populated area. Hundreds of locals and relatives of the victim staged a road blockade on the Sottaiyan Thoppu main road, disrupting traffic and demanding immediate action against the killers. The protest was withdrawn after senior police officials held talks and assured them of swift arrests. Over 200 police personnel have been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure.