Two crime incidents -- a four-member gang hacking a man to death in Coimbatore and a group cutting open four ATMs and decamping with Rs 70 lakh in cash in Tiruvannamalai district – have rocked Tamil Nadu in the past two days.
The two incidents gave enough fodder to the Opposition camp including the AIADMK and BJP to take potshots at the DMK government on the “deteriorating law and order” situation in the state. Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami and BJP state chief K Annamalai took to Twitter and wondered whether the state was plunging into lawlessness and asked the DMK dispensation to take remedial measures.
Gokul was murdered by a gang of four members near the district court complex in Coimbatore on Monday when he was sipping his tea at a tea stall. While Gokul died on the spot, his friend Manoj, who was injured in the attack, is being treated at a government hospital.
Police said the culprits escaped from the crime scene and a manhunt has been launched to nab them. They also added that CCTV footage from the area is being collected to identify the murderers.
On Sunday, a group of men cut open four ATMs in Tiruvannamalai district with initial investigation pointing fingers at a gang that could be from outside the state.
"We have clues and scientific evidence. They have sound technical knowledge and know the vulnerabilities of ATM machines. All the four ATMs they cut open are the same type of machine,” N Kannan, IG (north zone), said.
The police also said the group is believed to have targeted one ATM after another and used gas-welding machines to cut open them.
Published 13 February 2023, 14:34 IST