DMK leader believed to have died of heart attack was murdered: Police

A week after it was believed that he died of a heart attack, Dr D Masthan, secretary of the ruling DMK’s minority wing, was found to have been strangled to death by five persons, including his relatives, inside his car while they were travelling to Tiruchirapalli from Chennai.

Police said they have arrested five persons, including son-in-law of Masthan’s sibling, for the murder based on a complaint filed by the late DMK leader’s son suspecting foul play in his father’s death.

66-year-old Masthan, also the vice chairman of Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission, died on December 22 near Parandur check post in Chengalpattu on the highway connecting Chennai with Kanyakumari. He was also a Rajya Sabha member representing the AIADMK. Masthan quit the party to join DMK and was appointed secretary of minority wing.

It was then believed that he suffered a heart attack in the car and was rushed to a hospital where he died.

However, the case took a new turn after the post-mortem report indicated that Masthan could have been murdered as his body bore injury marks. The police took all five occupants of the car in which Masthan travelled on December 22 to unravel the mystery of his death.

Imran, Sulthan, Naseer, Thoufeek and Lokesh, Masthan’s car driver, have now been arrested for Masthan’s murder. “We have arrested them for strangling Masthan to death over a money dispute,” a senior police officer said.

The officer said Masthan’s relative, who was accompanying him, had issues with him over money and strangled him to death with the help of his accomplices after an argument.