TIRUNELVELI: A 60-year-old former police sub-inspector was hacked to death by a gang in Tirunelveli city around 5.45 am on Tuesday in a suspected dispute regarding a parcel of Waqf land.
S Zakir Hussain Bijili of Thottiipalam in Tirunelveli was returning from a mosque after morning prayers when he was attacked by the assailants 100 metres from his house. The gang inflicted deep cut injuries to his neck and head with lethal weapons.
Hussain collapsed in a pool of blood and died on the spot. The gang fled the scene, police sources said. Hussain is survived by his wife and two children. He was serving as ‘muthavalli’ (trustee) of Muthu John Thaikka (Dargah) at Thootipalam Street in Tirunelveli Town and administrator of Waqf properties of the dargah after he opted for voluntary retirement from service, police said.
Tirunelveli City Police Commissioner Santhosh Hadimani told TNIE that two persons, identified as Karthick and Akbar Shah, have surrendered at the Tirunelveli magistrate court in the case.
In viral clip, ex-SI said his death is imminent
Police are on the lookout for prime accused Krishnamurthy alias Mohamed Thoufeek (32) and his wife Noor Nisha.
In a purported video clip released by Hussain recently, which went viral on social media on Tuesday, he is seen saying that his death is imminent and Tirunelveli town police inspector Gopala Krishnan and assistant commissioner Senthil Kumar are colluding with the accused.
A senior police officer said there is a parcel of disputed land in the name of Noor Nisha, wife of Krishamurthy alias Thoufeeq, in the area. Zakir Hussain had put up a shed in January on the land following which quarrel erupted between him and Krishnamurthy, who later filed a complaint.
A case was registered against Zakir Hussain under SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act based on the complaint. Recently, Hussain had dumped sand at the site, claiming it to be a Waqf property, escalating tension between him and Thoufeeq. Akbar Shah, one of the accused who surrendered in the case, is a brother of Noor Nisha.
S Inayathullah, a relative of Zakir Hussain, said that Hussain was part of the security detail of former CM M Karunanidhi and also to present CM Stalin when he was Chennai Mayor.
Demanding probe by senior police officers and chairman of the Waqf Board, Hussain’s relatives have refused to receive his body. The body is currently kept at the mortuary of the Tirunelveli medical college hospital after postmortem.
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, in his X post, said that a former police officer, who had served with former CM M Karunanidhi, could not even go home safely after performing prayers under the DMK government. BJP state president K Annamalai said the murder showed the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.