Ramesh Kannan, a rowdy sheeter and an accused in the murder of former DMK functionary AC Aruna, was murdered by a gang of four at Mattakadai here on Saturday night.
Sources said Ramesh Kannan had several murder cases against him in various police stations across the State. The first murder he committed was 15 years back when he bumped off Prabhu of Koppari gang from Thoothukudi. He was 17 years old then. Then he committed a murder in Tirupur and the case was still pending.
In 2011, he was involved in the murder of A C Aruna, then DMK District Deputy Secretary and was named third accused in the case. In 2012, he was jailed and detained under the Goondas Act for threatening a person.
However, he managed to get bail and after coming out of the jail, he took a contract to run the corporation bathroom at Mattakadai opposite the St Patrick’s Church here.
Police said around 7 pm on Saturday, a gang of five approached him and picked a fight. However, they left the place and later four members of the gang returned to the spot around 9 pm in two motorbikes, sources said. Suddenly one of the gang members pulled out a sickle and tried to attack him. To escape Ramesh ran and tried to jump over the railway gate but the gang pulled him down and took him to the corporation bathroom. The gang slit his throat and killed him on the spot.
After committing the murder, all four escaped from the spot on their two wheelers, sources said.
A witness reported the crime. A case has been registered against the four persons. Police sources suspect that Ramesh could have been killed to avenge the murder of A C Aruna.