Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Panchayat chief's husband abducted, murdered

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI OCT. 27. Tension prevailed at Keluthipettai, near the southern suburb of Kunrathur this morning, following the murder of the husband of a village panchayat president. As a retaliation, eleven huts were set on fire. However, no one was injured.

According to Chengai (East) police sources, Anbu, the 48-year-old husband of Ranjitham, the AIADMK president of Sirukulathur village panchayat was returning home from a teashop with his friend Dayalan on a two-wheeler. At Keluthipettai, the two-wheeler was hit by a call taxi, throwing Dayalan and Anbu off their vehicle. Anbu was allegedly pulled into the call taxi and taken away. When Nageswara Rao, one of those accompanying Anbu, tried to intervene, he was assaulted by the gangsters. He sustained injuries and was admitted to a private hospital.

Meanwhile, Anbu's body was later found at an isolated spot at Pudupedu, coming under jurisdiction of the Somangalam police station near Kunrathur. The Police said that Anbu must have been murdered inside the call taxi while be was being taken away by the assailants. E.M.Masanamuthu and K.Shankar, Kancheepuram and Chengai (East) SPs, visited the spot, where Anbu's body was first found by local residents of Somangalam. His body was later taken to the Chromepet GH for post-mortem.

Meanwhile supporters of Anbu, infuriated over the murder, allegedly set fire to 11 huts at Keluthipettai. The huts belonged to supporters of Anbu's political rivals, police sources added. Though no one was injured in the arson, a tractor was completely gutted. According to Mr. Shankar, police pickets have been posted at Keluthipettai, where no untoward incident was reported.

The police said that they suspected the involvement of one Vairam, a local DMK functionary in the murder of Anbu, who was the local branch secretary of the AIADMK. A special team has been formed to nab the culprits, police sources added.

Anbu and Vairam were relatives and that they were staying in the same village, the police said. The duo allegedly had frequent quarrels prior to Anbu's murder today. The motive for the murder is being probed. Police are also investigating how the assailants managed to hire a call taxi.

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