Two history sheeters were hacked to death by a gang in broad daylight next to the Poompuhar police station, in the district on Friday.
Eight persons have been arrested in connection with the murder. The victims were accused in the murder of a DMK functionary last year, and were out on conditional bail.
Sources identified the deceased as Ravi (35) and Rajendran (35), both functionaries of the Viduthulai Siruthaigal Katchi from Melaiyur village in Tharangambadi taluk. They were leaving the police station after signing a register, in compliance with their bail conditions. As they were coming out of the station, an armed gang first attacked Ravi with sharp weapons and hacked him to death.
Seeing this, Rajendran tried to flee, but the gang swiftly overtook him and attacked him, leaving him dead on the spot. Their bodies have been kept at Mayiladuthurai Government hospital.
Following the twin murder, police personnel in large numbers were deployed in various places across Mayiladuthurai and Poompuhar, to avoid the possibility of untoward incidents.
Nagapattinam Superintendent of Police R Ramakrishnan and DIG Thanjavur Range VH Mohammad Haneefa rushed to the spot and monitored the deployment of police force in the area.