25-year-old hacked to death inside police quarters in Tamil Nadu's Trichy

'This incident exposed the complete collapse of law and order under the DMK government,' AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami

Chennai: In a shocking incident, a 25-year-old man was hacked to death inside a police residential quarters in Tiruchirapalli even as Chief Minister M K Stalin was on an official visit to the city.

The incident gave fodder for the opposition to attack the ruling DMK over the “failing” law and order situation in the state.

Thamaraichelvan, 25, was chased by five suspects and knocked down at Bheemnagar in the city. As he was cornered by the gang, the real estate consultant escaped from the spot and sought refuge inside the new police residential quarters thinking that they would not come inside.

However, the gang forced its way into the quarters and attacked Thamaraichelvan with sharp weapons, killing him on the spot. The incident took place on Monday when Stalin was in the city.

Police said previous enmity involving real estate seems to be the motive behind the murder. A case of murder has been registered at Trichy’s Palakkarai Police Station, while one suspect Ilamaran has been picked up even as a manhunt has been launched for four others.

The incident comes a week after a second year management student at a college in Coimbatore was abducted and sexual assaulted by a gang of three after thrashing her boyfriend.

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami sought to know how the Chief Minister would explain that even a man who sought refuge inside police quarters had no security for his life.

“He should hang his head in shame. When criminals can boldly enter a police SI’s house and kill someone who had sought refuge there, it shows they have absolutely no fear of the police. This incident exposed the complete collapse of law and order under the DMK government,” he said.

Former BJP chief K Annamalai said the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu has deteriorated to such an extent that there is not a single day without murders.

“Chief Minister Stalin is currently staying in Tiruchirappalli itself. Even so, for such a murder to occur right inside the police quarters demonstrates the pathetic state of law and order in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has sunk to a level where women, the elderly, children—no one has any safety,” he alleged.