Vijay’s TVK party official murdered in Chennai:Attackers on bikes hacked him on road; 5 arrested

Kannan, an office-bearer of the ruling TVK, was hacked to death by an armed gang in Chennai’s Besant Nagar on Saturday night. According to police, the attackers arrived on two-wheelers, chased Kannan, attacked him with machetes and fled the spot. Kannan died at the scene. Police have arrested five accused in the case so far. Officials said all five are 20 years old. Initial investigations suggest that the murder was linked to an old rivalry and revenge. The incident came to light on Sunday, September 6. The opposition has attacked the government over the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu following the murder. The incident took place a day before Chief Minister and TVK founder C. Joseph Vijay was scheduled to respond to the opposition’s allegations in the Legislative Assembly. How the murder was committed According to police, Kannan was standing on Ellaiamman Koil Street in Ramasamy Avenue, Vannanthurai, on Saturday night. At the time, unidentified attackers arrived on two-wheelers and started chasing him. They then attacked Kannan with machetes before fleeing the spot. Kannan suffered severe injuries in the attack and died at the scene. CCTV footage of the incident has emerged and is being widely circulated. Kannan was a resident of Vannanthurai and ran a car rental business for IT companies. Police said he was a history-sheeter with a criminal record and was under regular surveillance. 5 accused arrested Based on a complaint filed by Kannan’s cousin, 33-year-old Purushothaman, Shastri Nagar police registered a case. A special investigation team was formed under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar, to investigate the case. The team also includes the Assistant Commissioner and the Shastri Nagar Police Inspector. Officials said the arrested accused have been identified as Bharani, a resident of Rukmani Nagar, Adyar; Rakesh, a resident of Govindarajapuram, Adyar; Naresh, a resident of Periyar Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur; Manikandan, a resident of Kottur; and Hariharan, a resident of Indira Nagar, Adyar. All five are 20 years old. According to police sources, Bharani’s uncle Shiva was murdered by Kannan and his associates in the Adyar area in 2009. Later, Bharani’s father Velu was murdered in Saidapet in 2016. Police said Bharani conspired with his friends to kill Kannan to avenge the earlier murders. Further investigation is underway. Udhayanidhi Stalin targets the government The opposition attacked the government following the murder. Opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin alleged that the ruling TVK has become a place where criminals can seek refuge. The DMK leader said a history-sheeter who had joined the ruling TVK was chased and hacked to death in public. He questioned whether this was the ‘Vetri’ (victory) law and order that the Tamil Nadu government talks about. Udhayanidhi said, “Before the Chief Minister could respond to the police grant demands yesterday, an office-bearer of his own party was murdered in the capital.” Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is expected to respond to the opposition’s allegations about the law and order situation in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. PMK President also cornered the government Joining the opposition’s criticism, PMK President Dr Anbumani Ramadoss also referred to three ATM robberies reported in the suburbs over the past two weeks, along with Kannan’s murder. He questioned the government over the way the security system is being handled. Ramadoss said Kannan’s murder had created fear among people. He alleged that no effective steps were being taken to prevent violent crimes and robberies in the Chennai metropolitan area. He demanded that the administration fix accountability and significantly strengthen police surveillance and intelligence-gathering systems. ​