Tension prevails at Thenthirupperai near Srivaikundam in the district after a farmer, who joined the BJP recently, was murdered due to previous enmity on Tuesday morning.
Police, who have picked up six persons, including a teenage boy, in connection with the murder, categorically maintained that the murder was due to previous enmity and did not have any political or religious angle.
They said farmer Ramaiya Das (56) of Thenthirupperai had been posted as Thoothukudi district secretary of party’s traders’ wing. When the goats of one Marimuthu from the same area reportedly grazed in his farm 20 days ago, Ramaiya Das warned him that any recurrence of the incident would have serious consequences.
Against this backdrop, Ramaiya Das was hacked to death allegedly by Marimuthu’s 18-year-old son, when he was in an eatery in Thenthirupperai.
Alwarthirunagari police sent the body of Ramaiya Das to Government Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem.
Demanding the arrest of the assailant and seeking compensation for the murder of Ramaiya Das, his relatives blocked Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur Highway. Superintendent of Police S. Jayakumar and Tiruchendur Revenue Divisional Officer D. Dhanapriya assured the protesters that the accused would be arrested soon and their demand for compensation would be forwarded to the government.
Meanwhile, a group of people, carrying clubs and lethal weapons, damaged a few bikes parked in front of the houses of Marimuthu’s son and relatives in Thenthirupperai and set them afire. They also smashed a couple of cars. However, no one was arrested in connection with the incident.
In the evening, the police picked up six persons, including Marimuthu and some of his relatives, in connection with the murder. Further investigations are on.
