The general secretary of All India Other Backward Classes (AIOBC) Union of Southern Railway was allegedly hacked to death by his former driver and associates in his house on Chennai Battai Road on Friday morning.
J.K. Puthiyavan, the victim, was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
The police have formed special teams to nab the key suspect, Bhaskar, and his associates.
Puthiyavan worked in the mechanical department of Carriage Works.
He was reportedly attacked by two men after a heated argument between them. The suspects fled after the attack.
Puthiyavan, along with wife Ranjitha, an ICF employee, and two children, Akshaya, 16, and Anokhya, 14, lived on Chennai Battai Road. The attack happened in the morning after Ms. Ranjitha left for work and his daughters went to school. On hearing the commotion, residents of nearby houses rushed to the scene to see two men running away. Following the argument and the attack, two persons came to Puthiyavan’s house and had a heated argument with him, police said.
In a few minutes, the two attacked Puthiyavan with sharp weapons and fled the scene. “The other residents came out on hearing the commotion and saw the two men running away.
“The tenants immediately informed Ms. Ranjitha. Puthiyavan was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance where he was declared dead,” said a senior police officer.
The ICF police are investigating the murder.
“We have taken fingerprints from the scene of crime. Based on the information provided by Ms. Ranjitha, we have formed three special teams to nab Bhaskar, the main suspect, and his aides,” said a senior officer.
During investigation, police found that Bhaskar had worked as a driver for Puthiyavan more than five years ago. There was some misunderstanding between the duo and Bhaskar quit, the officer said.
When the police interrogated Bhaskar’s family, they allegedly claimed that Mr. Puthiyavan had taken money and had promised to get Bhaskar’s brother a job.
“They claimed that Bhaskar gave the money by pledging jewels. However, Puthiyavan neither returned the money nor did got him the job. This has to be checked,” the officer said.
