Missing Tamil Nadu Congress president's charred body found in his farm

Chennai: The charred body of Tirunelveli (East) district Congress President K P K Jayakumar Danasingh has been recovered from his farm in the district on Saturday, two days after he was reported missing.

This has prompted the Opposition parties to point fingers at the ruling DMK over the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state.

The Congress functionary had on April 30 written to the Tirunelveli district Superintendent of Police (SP) N Silambarasan alleging that eight people have issued death threats to him.

He named his own party leaders and accused them of “extorting” money from him in the letter, which Silambarasan said on Saturday was received by him in person.

Danasingh’s half-burnt body was recovered from his farm in Karaichuthupudur on Saturday.

The body was found with hands and legs tied with electric cables. Danasingh's son, Karuthiah Jaffrin, had on May 2 filed a complaint with the police seeking their help in locating his father.

Tirunelveli district police said that seven special teams have been formed to nab the culprits even as it came under attack for “turning a blind eye” to Danasingh’s complaint.

In the hand-written letter, the deceased Congress leader had said that his life was under threat from Ananda Raja - President of a village panchayat, Kuthalingam - a retired government servant, Nanguneri - a Congress MLA, Ruby Manoharan - former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief, K V Thangabalu, and four others.

The complainant said that he was filing the petition after he found suspicious movement of strangers near his house at night.

“Raja had registered a land measuring 7.80 acres in Valliyoor in my name in lieu of Rs 46 lakh credit he got from me. Since the value of the land now is much higher, he has been deploying various tactics to coerce me and has also filed a case against my property. Hence, I fear for my life,” the deceased had written in the letter.

He also alleged that Manoharan had received Rs 70 lakhs from him in the past few years on the pretext of allotting him contracts but “cheated him” in the end.

Danasingh’s complaint also alleged that Thangabalu asked him to spend Rs 11 lakh for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with a promise that he would return it.

“But he didn’t return and asked me to get the amount from MLA Manoharan. When I asked Manoharan, he threatened to kill me,” he had written.

Manoharan denied the allegations and said Danasingh’s death was a “personal loss” and there were no “financial transactions” between them.

The incident triggered a political slugfest with opposition AIADMK and BJP training guns at the DMK government.

“I have been raising the issue of breakdown of law and order every day and it is shocking to see that the body of a district president of a national party has been recovered. Anti-social elements have dared to commit a crime without any fear of the law or the police,” AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said.

BJP state chief K Annamalai alleged that the police didn’t act despite Danasingh naming Congress leaders in his letter to the SP.