Double murder causes panic in Chengalpattu

Residents of Chengalpet are in a state of shock following the murder of a panchayat president and a mason in the same vicinity on Thursday evening.

According to police, the deceased R D Vijayakumar (38), panchayat president of  Pon Vilaintha Kalathur (PV Kalathur) in Chengalpattu, was a former PMK man and had been elected for the second consecutive term.

However, he is said to have been away away from active politics for about a year and was involved in construction works involving heavy earthmovers.

On Thursday, Vijayakumar drove to an ATM in Vedachalam Nagar along with two other friends in a car. Leaving his friends in the car, Vijayakumar went to withdraw money from the ATM, when a gang that came in another car and on two-wheelers intercepted Vijayakumar and attacked him with sickles in front of the ATM. The incident happened around 6.30 pm.

The gang fled the spot after onlookers and Vijayakumar’s friends rushed to the spot.

He was then shifted to the Chengalpattu Government General Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries after failing to responding to treatment.

Police said that there were a few cases, including one of attempt to murder, pending against Vijayakumar. He was a bachelor and had married off all his siblings.

Around the same time, Gnanasekaran (42), a mason, who was living in the nearby Vedappar Street, was hacked to death by a gang that came on motorcycles, in front of his house.

Meanwhile, relatives of both victims gathered in large numbers and demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the incident. 

Shops downed shutters anticipating untoward incidents.