KARUR: A 45-year-old farmer was hacked to death, and four others, including two women, were injured, following a dispute between two groups over agricultural land near Karur during the late hours on Sunday.
The Vangal police in Karur registered a case and arrested eight persons in connection with the incident on Monday. Police said the deceased was identified as S Manivasagam, a native of EVR Street in Vangal, Karur. His younger brother S Yogeshwaran (40), their relative Anand (45), landowner Rani (50), and her mother Rasammal (70), of the same area sustained injuries and are admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Karur.
The arrested were identified as S Venkatesan (41), his accomplices K Kaviyarasan (30), K Vivek (27), R Manikandan (32), of EVR Street, P Chandra Prakash (25), I Krishnan (26), and A Nijamudeen (40), of Erode, and B Senthamizh (31), of Namakkal went over to Rani’s residence and again attempted to persuade her to sell the land to him.
Manivasagam entered into an agreement with one Rani to buy a piece of her land (B Memo land) located beside the banks of the Cauvery riverbed, near their residence, for Rs 10 lakh. Meanwhile, S Venkatesan (41), of the same area, allegedly compelled Rani to sell the same piece of land to him, offering more money. She did not budge.
Later, Venkatesan and seven other suspects went to Rani’s residence and again attempted to persuade her to sell the land. Upon receiving the information, Manivasagam, Yogeshwaran, and Anand also went there and advised and told Rani not to sell the land to their rival.
This led to a heated argument between the two groups. In a fit of rage, Venkatesan and his seven accomplices hacked Manivasagam, Yogeshwaran, and Anand. Rani and Rasammal also sustained cut injuries when they attempted to safeguard the other three victims.
All five were rushed to the GH where Manivasagam succumbed to his injuries. Based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s wife, M Nandhini, Vangal police filed a case and arrested all eight suspects.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami accused DMK men of being involved in the murder. In his post on X, he alleged that the deceased was hacked to death by a DMK man and an accomplice involved in illegal sand mining in Vangal, Karur. He also demanded that the murder case related to illegal sand mining be investigated with integrity and that the DMK government take strict legal action against the culprits. Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai also condemned the incident through a post on his X handle, alleging that Manivasagam was murdered by Venkatesan, who was very close to a former minister.