Chennai, Sep 6 — The murder of a ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) functionary in Chennai has triggered a fresh political confrontation over law and order in Tamil Nadu, with opposition parties on Sunday stepping up their attack on the C. Joseph Vijay-led state government ahead of an Assembly debate on the functioning of the police department.
Kannan, a TVK functionary, was chased by an armed gang and hacked to death with machetes at Besant Nagar on Saturday night.
Police have arrested at least five people in connection with the killing and launched further investigations to establish the sequence of events and identify everyone involved.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the locality, including visuals believed to have captured the attack.
The footage subsequently circulated on social media, drawing widespread attention to the killing.
Police said Kannan had several criminal cases against him and was classified as a history-sheeter.
Preliminary findings indicate that longstanding personal hostility could have led to the attack, with investigators looking at the possibility of a revenge killing.
The background of those arrested and their alleged links with the victim are also being investigated.
The murder quickly assumed political significance, with Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin accusing the TVK government of failing to maintain law and order in the state.
He alleged that people with criminal backgrounds were finding refuge in the ruling TVK and questioned the state government's claims of having improved policing and public security.
Udhayanidhi also said that the murder had occurred in the state capital just before Chief Minister Vijay was scheduled to respond to the debate on the Police demand for grants in the State Assembly.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President Anbumani Ramadoss also criticised the state government, linking the Besant Nagar murder to a series of recent crimes reported in and around Chennai.
Referring to three ATM robberies reported in the city's suburbs during the past fortnight, Anbumani alleged that incidents of violent crime and robbery were creating a sense of insecurity among residents.
He called for greater accountability within the police machinery and sought stronger surveillance and intelligence gathering to prevent serious crimes.
Police, meanwhile, are continuing their investigation into Kannan's murder and are examining whether more suspects were involved in planning or carrying out the attack.