Fifty three-year-old social activist Rajamohan Chandra was hacked to death in the wee hours of Monday on the Girivalam Path in the temple town.
The brutal murder took place near Simha Theertham (pond) when Chandra was returning home on his two-wheeler.
The body of Chandra found in a pool of blood near the Simha Theertham has sent a shock wave among the residents of the area.
“The murder took place at around 6 am when Chandra was returning home to Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Vaira Kundru on his bike after buying milk,” Superintendent of Police (SP) of Tiruvannamalai R V Ramya Bharathi said.Within three hours of Chandra’s murder, two persons, Murugan (32) of Vada Andapattu near Mangalam and Chandra Sekaran (29) of Thenpallipattu near Kalasapakkam, surrendered before a court in Polur in connection with the murder.
The duo, who surrendered around 10.15 am, was sent to 15 days judicial custody and were taken to the Vellore Central Prison for Men at Thorapadi.
Police officials said it was a pre-planned murder. The assailants intercepted Chandra and sprayed chilli powder on his face. The gang then hacked him with a sharp weapon, killing him on the spot. “A deep cut was found on his throat and cheek. He died on the spot,” said a police officer. The deceased was also carrying a knife along with him for his safety, he added.
“We are moving the court to obtain custody of the two persons who surrendered in the murder case for interrogation. We will nab the murderers and solve the case within a day or two,” the SP said.
The officer also conducted an enquiry with Mini, a nurse in a private hospital who had a live-in-relationship with Chandra since 2004.
Sources said Chandra harboured enmity with government officials, politicians and realtors for his repeated complaints, public interest litigation (PIL) cases and petitions against them. It was learnt that he filed PILs and lodged complaints against many police officials in the rank of SP and Deputy Superintendents of Police and even against judges in Madras High Court and Human Rights Commission.
“Chandra had a shady character. He was also imprisoned a year ago relating to a cheating case. There were several cases pending against him,” a police officer said, adding, “He used to file petitions for his personal benefits and also make money assuring innocent people that he will help them in civil disputes.”
The police suspected the involvement of realtor Venkatesan in the crime. “The two youth who surrendered in the court were also working for the realtor, that led credence to police’s suspicion on Venkatesan, who was on the loose,” an inspector of police attached to Tiruvannamalai District Police office said.
Police have intensified the inquiry to find out if any other person was behind the murder of Chandra.