A 45-year-old functionary of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was brutally hacked to death by a five-member gang in upscale Adyar late on Saturday, police said.
Five members, all aged 20, were arrested in connection with the incident, police said, adding that initial investigations indicated that it occurred due to previous enmity.
The brutal murder of S Kannan, a history-sheeter, was recorded by a surveillance camera, and the footage went viral on social media on Sunday.
A close friend of Kannan, who was present at the time of the incident, said, "I and along with my friends were speaking to Kannan around 9.30 - 9.45 pm on Saturday night."
"Initially, two people wearing helmets came in a motorcycle and attacked Kannan with knives. Later, they were joined by three more persons who also came in two-wheelers and attacked Kannan with machetes. We ran away as they tried to attack us as well. We could not recognise them..", he told reporters.
Meanwhile, a senior police official said five persons had been arrested under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). "They have been arrested and investigation is going on," an official said on condition of anonymity.
Elaborating, he said S Kannan was a resident of the Vannandurai area in Adyar and was running a business of renting cars to Information Technology companies. As he was a history-sheeter, the police were continuously monitoring his activities both directly and covertly.
Under these circumstances, the official said, "he was attacked by five unidentified individuals on Saturday who arrived on two-wheelers attacked him with knives and fled. Kannan, who suffered severe injuries in the attack, died on the spot."
Based on the complaint filed by S Kannan's maternal uncle Purushothamman, a case was registered by the police.
A special team was formed under the instructions of Chennai Police Commissioner A Amalraj, and five persons were arrested. Bharani, 20, Rakesh, 20, Naresh, 20, Manikandan, 20, and Hariharan, 20, were arrested under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he said.
Responding to a query, he said that in 2009, Kannan and his associates murdered Siva, the maternal uncle of Bharani, one of the five accused. "Bharani's father was Velu was also murdered in Saidapet. Due to this prior enmity, the accused Bharani, along with his accomplices, decided to murder Kannan. An investigation was on," he added.
Meanwhile, various political parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), slammed the TVK government over the 'law and order' situation.
DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin comments
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin ridiculed the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), stating that a prominent figure from his own party had been murdered in the capital city right before Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is scheduled to reply to the debate on the police department's demand for grants on Monday.
"A history-sheeter who joined the ruling TVK seeking protection for his life has been chased and killed in broad daylight on the street. Is this Tamil Nadu's successful law and order situation.? ", Udhayanidhi Stalin, the former deputy chief minister said.
He asked, "should one grieve the fact that law and order has deteriorated to the extent that such a murder happens right on the streets of the capital city?"
Instead of thinking about how to blame the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the government must take action to ensure the safety of the general public, he demanded.
BJP Reaction
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said, "even if the government has changed, the ground reality has not."
The law-and-order collapse that flourished under DMK rule continues unabated under the TVK government is a matter of shame. That this murder took place in Adyar, one of Chennai’s most central and busiest areas, is deeply shocking, he said.
"Whatever the motive, the police must understand that their foremost duty is to prevent crimes from happening and not merely respond after it has occurred.", he said.
PMK comments
Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) MP, said the incident has caused a fear among the public and said such incidents demonstrate that no effective measures have been taken to prevent murders and robberies in Chennai and its suburban areas.