TVK Worker Kannan Hacked to Death in Chennai, Five Arrested as Political Row Erupts

A local functionary of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was chased and hacked to death by multiple assailants on a road in Chennai, prompting a police investigation and a political confrontation over law and order. The victim was identified as Kannan, who police said had criminal antecedents and was involved in at least three cases, including two murder-related cases. The killing took place on Saturday night, and police have arrested five people in connection with the case.

Police identified the arrested suspects as Bharani, Rakesh, Naresh, Manikandan and Hariharan, all of whom are reportedly 20 years old. Three special teams have been formed to investigate the killing, while CCTV footage from areas surrounding the crime scene has been collected. Footage reportedly shows several men armed with machetes attacking Kannan on the street. Investigators are examining the sequence of events and the circumstances that led to the attack.

Preliminary investigation has pointed to previous enmity as the possible motive behind the killing. According to police sources, Bharani's paternal uncle Siva was allegedly killed by Kannan in 2009, while Bharani's father was murdered in 2016. Police suspect Bharani subsequently conspired with his friends to target Kannan as an act of revenge. Investigators are continuing to verify the circumstances surrounding the earlier killings and establish the precise motive behind the latest attack.

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Kannan had entered mainstream politics and was subsequently involved in the real estate business, according to the report. He also operated a car rental business that catered to information technology companies. Police said his previous criminal record included cases connected to serious offences. The investigation will now focus on establishing the roles of each accused person and determining whether anyone else was involved in planning or carrying out the attack.

The murder has also triggered a political dispute in Tamil Nadu, with DMK leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin criticising the TVK-led government over the law-and-order situation. Referring to the killing, Stalin questioned how a ruling-party functionary with criminal antecedents could be chased and killed on a street in the state capital. He also alleged that the TVK had become a refuge for history-sheeters, sharply attacking the party and its leadership.

Stalin's remarks came ahead of Chief Minister and TVK founder C Joseph Vijay's expected response to Opposition criticism of law and order in the Assembly. The DMK leader urged the government to focus on public safety rather than attempting to blame the Opposition for the situation. Meanwhile, police investigations into Kannan's killing remain underway, with the five arrests and CCTV evidence forming key parts of the inquiry as authorities work to establish the full circumstances behind the murder.

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