Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 24 : A 38-year-old history-sheeter and nephew of former DMK functionary V K Gurusamy, was murdered by unidentified individuals in the early hours of Saturday near his residence in Thanakankulam, Madurai district.
The deceased, P Kaleshwaran, originally from the TNHB colony in Mel Anuppanadi, had been residing in Thanakankulam. The police have not yet confirmed whether the rival gang of Gurusamy was involved in the murder.
"So far, no arrests have been made. We are reviewing CCTV footage and employing scientific methods to identify the suspects. After the post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family, who took it to Gurusamy's residence in Kamarajpuram before proceeding with the cremation at a local burial ground," the police said.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 10 pm when Kaleshwaran was outside his house. A gang of unidentified assailants intercepted him and attacked him with sharp weapons. Suffering multiple stab wounds, Kaleshwaran died on the spot. The police also stated that he had several pending cases against him.
Although Kaleshwaran was a close relative of V K Gurusamy, who had a long-standing rivalry with former AIADMK functionary Rajapandian, the police have not yet confirmed the involvement of Rajapandian's close associate Vellaikkali in the recent murder case.
The two-decade-old gang rivalry between these political figures has led to multiple murders and retaliatory killings, claiming the lives of more than 20 people over the years. The police are also investigating other possible motives for the murder.
Based on a complaint filed by Kaleshwaran's wife, Meenakshi, the Austinpatti police have registered a case against unidentified individuals under Section 103 of the BNS Act.
Further investigations are ongoing.