'Gruesome killing' of soldier matter of serious concern, says Tamil Nadu Governor

The state BJP also organised a protest and a candle light march demanding justice for the deceased Lance Naik Prabhu

Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan on Tuesday night termed the “gruesome killing” of army man, M Prabhu, by a DMK councillor as a “matter of serious concern”, almost a week after the Krishnagiri District police said the murder had no “political angle” which took place over a petty issue.

“Some Ex-Servicemen met the Governor and shared their collective anguish at the gruesome killing of M Prabhu, a serving soldier by an armed gang led by a DMK councillor and lukewarm response of the state law enforcement. Indeed, it is a matter of serious concern,” the Raj Bhavan said in a late-night tweet on its verified page.

The tweet by the Governor’s office came hours after a high-level delegation from the BJP led by its state chief K Annamalai met him and submitted a representation on the matter. However, the tweet didn’t mention the BJP delegation’s meeting with the Governor, but referred to a meeting that R N Ravi had with former army men on Tuesday.

Tuesday also saw the BJP organising a protest in the morning and a candle light march in the evening demanding justice for Lance Naik Prabhu, who was beaten to death by R Chinnasamy, the DMK councillor of Nagajonahalli town panchayat, over a petty issue earlier this month.

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The Raj Bhavan’s tweet which indirectly blames the police for “lukewarm response” is set to trigger yet another confrontation with the DMK government. Governor Ravi and the DMK dispensation don’t share the best of relations and are at loggerheads often, mostly on pending bills and ideological issues.

The BJP maintains the murder reflected DMK’s “cruel disrespect to our Indian Army”, but Krishnagiri Police last week said the victim and the accused were “close blood relatives” and the “unfortunate incident” took place over a petty issue.

Krishnagiri district Superintendent of Police P Saroj Kumar Thakur had said that the deceased, Prabhu, was the grandson of the brother of the DMK councillor.

The issue started with a petty dispute near a public water tank on February 8 after an argument took place between Chinnasamy and Prabhu’s mother over using water from a drinking water tap for washing clothes. It turned into a brawl the same evening when the DMK councillor and his relatives barged into the army man’s house and assaulted him.

Prabhu, who received head injuries in the attack, died at a private hospital in Hosur on February 14. The police have arrested nine persons, including the DMK councillor and his policeman-son for the murder.