Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Mar 19: A 35-year-old history-sheeter, John alias Chanakya, was brutally murdered by an unidentified gang on Wednesday along the Salem-Coimbatore National Highway in Erode district, Tamil Nadu.
John, a resident of SMC Colony in Kitchipalayam, Salem, was traveling with his wife, Saranya, when the attack occurred. The assailants, who were following them in two cars, rammed into their vehicle near Nasiyanur, forcing it to stop. As soon as John stepped out, the gang attacked him with machetes, killing him instantly. Saranya, who tried to intervene, suffered injuries and was rushed to a private hospital.
Police confirmed that John had multiple criminal cases, including attempted murder, registered against him across Salem district. He had recently shifted to Periya Palayam in Tiruppur, where he was running a vehicle loan finance business. On the day of the attack, he was returning from routine legal formalities at Annadanapatti police station.
Following the murder, Erode Superintendent of Police G. Jawahar reached the crime scene. Police tracked down the gang, opening fire and injuring four suspects, who were arrested and admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Perundurai. They will be later shifted to Coimbatore Government Hospital for further treatment. Meanwhile, four other suspects managed to escape, prompting a manhunt.
John’s killing is the latest in a series of violent gang-related murders in Tamil Nadu.
• March 19: Former Tamil Nadu police sub-inspector Zakhir Hussein Bijli (64) was hacked to death in Tirunelveli while returning from morning prayers.
• March 16: Two history-sheeters, Arun Kumar (25) and Padappai Suresh (25), were killed in a suspected gang rivalry attack.
• March 11: Vasoolraja (30), another history-sheeter, was killed in Kancheepuram after a gang hurled a country-made bomb at him.
The rise in violent crimes has triggered political outrage. AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami slammed the DMK government over its "failure to maintain law and order," while BJP Tamil Nadu chief K. Annamalai claimed the state’s security had "collapsed." PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss also expressed deep concern over the worsening situation.
The government is yet to respond to the growing criticism, even as law enforcement agencies struggle to curb the surge in organized crime.