KARAIKAL: A gang of armed men on Friday night hacked PMK's Karaikal district general secretary K Devamani to death at Tirunallar in Karaikal district.
According to police, Devamani and his friend were returning from the party office when the armed gang intercepted them and attacked him with sharp weapons. Devamani blacked out on the spot after sustaining injuries on the head, neck, abdomen and other parts of the body.
The PMK cadres and his relatives rushed Devamani to the Karaikal government hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
An initial inquiry revealed that enmity prevailed between Devamani and Manimaran, an auto driver of the same locality over a property dispute. Karaikal SP K L Viravallabane said Devamani had permitted Mani and his mother to stay on a property that was owned by him after they were forcibly evicted by their relative. Mani was also helping Devamani in his political and businessrelated activities. Over time, Mani left Devamani’s side, following which the PMK functionary asked him and his mother to vacate his property.
After Mani refused to leave the house, Devamani started building a fence around it leading to a bitter duel. The matter even reached court after which Mani allegedly decided to eliminate Devamani. The police have detained him and one of his aides for interrogation.
A case has been registered under Sections 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 302 (punishment for murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, read with 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the IPC and launched a hunt for the accused.
PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss, while condemning the murder, urged the police to arrest all the perpetrators. He said Devamani was instrumental in closing liquor bars and restaurants that operated illegally and also helped with scrapping the fuel tax hike by successfully approaching the Madras high court.
