TIRUCHY: Three murders, including that of an AIADMK functionary, within a span of 12 hours from Sunday to Monday morning, left residents of the city shell-shocked here on Monday. The series of murders began at 11.30 pm on Sunday at Raja Colony where unidentified criminals trying to loot a businessman’s house stabbed the security guard.
The murder of an AIADMK functionary, Muthu (42), occurred at Ranga Nagar near KK Nagar at 7 am on Monday. He is the branch representative of AIADMK and is alleged to have had an affair with one Saroja (40), of Indira Nagar. It is said an auto driver, Vadivelu, of the same area, also had an affair with Saroja. This resulted in a quarrel between Muthu and Vadivelu.
Vadivelu came to know that Muthu allegedly stayed at Saroja’s house on Sunday. On Monday around 6 am, when he came out of Saroja’s house, Vadivelu followed him with an aruval (sickle). He attacked Muthu at a secluded place and attacked his neck and chest. Muthu sustained grievous injuries and was taken to the government hospital in an auto. But doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
On receiving information, Minister N R Sivapathi, and others visited the hospital. KK Nagar police have arrested Vadivelu. The second murder occurred at 11 am at Ponmalai, where a 40-year-old man was found lying dead in a pool of blood. On receiving information, a police team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police S Jayapandian visited the spot and identified the body as that of P C Palanisamy, a money-lender at Thillai Nagar. Palanisamy had lent money to many persons at Ponmalai. Police also retrieved a blood stained aruval and a mobile phone from the crime spot.
Since all three murders occurred within city limits within a duration of 12 hours, the residents are really worried as such incidents were unknown in the area.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jayapandian, said that one of the culprits had been arrested, and that others would be nabbed soon.