Puducherry: Former minister and ex-speaker of Puducherry assembly, VMC Sivakumar, was hacked to death by an unidentified gang in Karaikal region of the union territory on Wednesday.
Mr Sivakumar was on his way to inspect the construction work of a marriage hall belonging to him when six men hacked him with a sickle. The gang hurled country made bombs at his car and when he ran for his life the assailants followed him and hacked him to death, police officials said.
Mr. Sivakumar was rushed to the government general hospital where he was declared brought dead. The 67-year-old is survived by wife, two sons and two daughters. Previous enmity is suspected to be the reason for the murder.
Sivakumar has represented Neravi constituency in Karaikal as a DMK candidate three times, winning the seat for the fourth time in 2011 as an independent. Denied ticket by the DMK, he contested the election as a rebel and defeated the party nominee Geetha by 358 votes in the 2011 election.
The AINRC, which emerged as the largest party with 15 MLAs in 2011, formed the government with the support of Mr. Sivakumar. Mr Sivakumar, former agriculture minister was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2000 during the previous DMK regime. He joined the AIADMK and contested the May assembly election last year and was defeated.
