MADURAI: A 34-year-old police constable of the Usilampatti police station was murdered allegedly by a gang led by a ganja peddler at a bar attached to a Tasmac-run liquor shop at Muthaiyanpatti near Usilampatti in Madurai district on Thursday evening.
A special team led by Usilampatti deputy superintendent of police Chandraseka ran has been formed to nab the gang and its leader.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang, led by Ponvandu, attacked constable B Muthukumar with stones before thrashing him to death around 5.30 pm, police said.
Muthukumar, who was the official driver of the Usilampatti police inspector, had gone to the liquor outlet with his friend Rajaram, a resident of the same village, after duty.
An arguemnt broke out between Ponvandu and Muthukumar who was not in uniform at teh bar, police said.
In a fit of rage, Ponvandu and his gang, allegedly attacked Muthukumar and Rajaram, who tried to prevent the attack. Learning of the incident, Usilampatti police reached the bar and shifted Muthukumar to the govern- ment hospital in Usilampatti, where he was declared dead.