A local BJP functionary and three of his family members, including two women, were hacked to death on Sunday night after an argument over three men – one of whom was his former driver -- drinking outside his house in Tiruppur district.
Senthil Kumar, 47, a wholesale rice dealer and BJP president of Madhapur village in Palladam, along with Mohanraj, Pushpavathi, and Rathinambal objected to Venkatesan and his friends drinking liquor in his agriculture fields. Venkatesan, who worked as a driver with Kumar, had been nursing a grudge against the family over a sour financial transaction.
Police said Venkatesan and his friends were drinking at Kumar’s farm after devising a plan to pick up an argument with the latter.
“The argument that Venkatesan picked up with Kumar turned into a full-blown fight that ended in the killing of four people,” a senior police officer said, adding that the accused attacked the victims with sickles.
The officer added that previous enmity between Kumar and Venkatesh was the reason behind the gruesome murder. Relatives of Kumar held a protest demanding that the culprits be arrested immediately and refused to accept the bodies.
BJP chief K Annamalai and Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged that the murders reflect the deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. They demanded that the government allow the police to arrest the culprits.
Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the death and announced a solatium of Rs 2 lakh each to the deceased.
Published 04 September 2023, 13:59 IST