Dalit panchayat president killed in Mannivakkam

A dalit panchayat president, a member of the ruling AIADMK, was hacked by a six-member gang at Mannivakkam near here on Tuesday morning. The gang members then surrendered before a court in Tiruvallur. Police suspect previous enmity to be the motive of the murder.

Police said R Purushothaman, the sitting President of Mannivakkam Panchayat, was on his two-wheeler when the gang intercepted him at Mannivakkam Link Road intersection with a a car and hacked him with sickles and knives.

Six persons later surrendered before the the Judicial Magistrate-I of Tiruvallur. They were identified as Bogi Krishnan, DMK member and former vice-president of the same Panchayat, Gavaskar, Prakash, Ganesan and Kesavan, all residents of the same panchayat, and Arumugam alias Aru. They were remanded to judicial custody.

Sources said Bogi Krishnan and Purushothaman contested for the panchayat president’s post but were in good terms as the duo were seen sharing the same cigarette even on the day of polling. Enmity began brewing when a case was registered against Bogi Krishnan for allegedly damaging panchayat water taps, based on a complaint from Purushothaman. Bogi Krishnan was apparently jealous of Purushothaman’s elevation and the poromboke land deals that he allegedly struck.

Family and friends of Purushothaman took to the streets causing tension in the locality. They mellowed down after police managed to remove the body from the scene after pacifying the relatives. Police said both Purushothaman and Bogi Krishnan had a few murder cases pending against them.

Mannivakkam and the neighbouring Oorapakkam had been problem areas for the law enforcing agency with several such political murders taking place over the years.

In 2000, Oorapakkam panchayat president Menaka was murdered inside her chamber at the panchayat office. Nine years later, GNR Kumar, the accused who was acquitted of the murder of Menaka, was hacked to death by a gang.