Murder accused hacked to death outside court premises in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: A murder accused was murdered by a gang of four people outside a court complex in Tirunelveli in southern Tamil Nadu on Friday, in what is suspected to be a revenge killing.

The incident, which prompted opposition parties to allege that the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu collapsed, took place outside the Tirunelveli district court complex.

38-year-old S Mayandi was murdered with sickles and other sharp objects by four men when he was entering the court complex for a hearing. While three men escaped, a sub inspector of police and a lawyer managed to nab one accused, who is now in custody.

Police have formed three special teams who have nabbed five persons in connection with the murder.

The day light murder comes a month after a lawyer was killed outside a court complex in Krishnagiri district. The state government has been under attack for alleged deterioration in law and order situation in the state.

A senior police officer said Mayandi was a prime accused in a murder case since 2023. “Our initial investigation shows that accused were close to the person who was killed last year. It is in this case that Mayandi was arrested,” the officer added.

Lawyers said the murder showed there was a lack of security in court premises in Tirunelveli.