MADURAI: A day after a constable was murdered by a gang led by a ganja peddler at Usilampatti, the family members of the victim staged a road blockade near the government hospital at Usilampatti on Friday. Refusing to accept the body, they demanded the immediate arrest of the accused.
Meanwhile, police on Friday said that they are on the lookout for the five-member gang, including prime accused Ponvandu. Six special teams have been formed to nab them, police said.
Constable B Muthukumar (34), attached to the Usilampatti police station, was murdered by a gang headed by Ponvandu near a bar attached to a Tasmac wine shop at Muthaiyanpatti on Thursday.
On Friday, Muthukumar’s family members blocked the road, refusing to accept the body after postmortem. They urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to announce solatium and provide a government job to one of the victim’s family members.
Speaking to TNIE, SP BK Arvind said Muthukumar was working as a driver to the inspector of Usilampatti police station. He was on leave on Thursday and had gone to the Tasmac shop with his friend Rajaram.
Claiming that Muthukumar had no previous enmity with the ganja peddler, the SP said arguments broke out between the constable and Ponvandu while consuming liquor, and they attacked each other. After a police team intervened, the gang fled.
“Later, Muthukumar and Rajaram went to another place and consumed liquor. Ponvandu and his gang went there, and pelted Muthukumar with stones. Rajaram tried to prevent them, but was assaulted,” Arvind said.