Puducherry: Enmity suspected to be reason for former minister's murder

Karaikal: Police on Wednesday said a preliminary investigation into the murder of former Puducherry Agriculture Minister VMC Sivakumar in Karaikal suggested that previous enmity was the reason behind the killing.

Sivakumar was hacked to death at his native town Neravy-TR Pattinam in Karaikal district on Tuesday by an unidentified gang.

The gang had first hurled a country bomb on Sivakumar when he was inspecting a building construction work. However, as it failed to explode, they attacked him with sickles killing him on the spot.

District Senior Superintendent of Police V J Chandran said a preliminary investigation suggested that previous enmity between the gang members and Sivakumar was the reason behind the murder.

Chandran said a few months back Sivakumar had lodged a complaint fearing threat to his life following which police security was provided to him.

"The gang suddenly entered the construction site and threatened the police constable on security duty at knife point. They had snatched the away the gun possessed by the constable and hacked Sivakumar to death and fled the scene," Chandran said.

Three special teams had been formed to nab the culprits and trace the gun, he said.

Sivakumar belonged to the powerful political family in the district known as 'VMC family'.

In nine elections to the Puducherry assembly from 1977 to 2011, only the members from the VMC family have been elected from the Neravy-TR Pattinam constituency.

Apart from VMC Sivakumar, who was elected five times, other MLAs from his family include his elder brother VMC Varadhapillai and his son VMCV Ganapathy.

Only in the 2016, a person outside from the VMC family was elected in the assembly polls.

Between 1996-2000, he served as the speaker of Puducherry assembly and between 2000-01, he served as the agriculture minister. Until 2011, Sivakumar had been with the DMK. In 2011, he was denied DMK ticket and contested as an independent and won.

In 2015, he joined the AIADMK. Meanwhile, as tension prevailed in Neravy-TR Pattinam area, District Collector P Parthiban has issued prohibitory orders under section 144 of criminal procedure code till tonight.

All shops in the area remain closed. Vehicles from Nagapattinam towards Karaikal are plying via Nagore byepass road instead of entering TR Pattinam.