Chennai, Aug 14 (IANS): Police in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district have a launched a manhunt to nab the accused involved in the murder of a local DMK counselor in the Vadakur area.

DMK panchayat counselor, Rajamani was hacked to death on Sunday evening when he was returning home after grazing his goats.

The murder has sparked protests in the area.

Although the police are yet to make an official statement on the cause of the murder, it is being widely believed that personal enmity might be the probable reason.

A heavy contingent police contingent is currently deployed in Vadakur.

On August 9, a group of intermediate caste students had barged into the residence of their Dalit classmate and hacked to death in the district.

A 16-year-old Dalit boy and his younger sister who tried to prevent the boys from hacking her brother were injured and admitted to a local hospital.

Tirunelveli, in south Tamil Nadu, has witnessed several killings in the name of caste and police are probing whether Rajamani's murder also had something to do with caste-related fights and subsequent revenge.