The Palayamkottai police on Monday arrested 6 persons, all contract killers from 3 districts, in connection with the murder of DMK area secretary Ponnudas alias Ape Mani on Saturday night.
The suspected mastermind of this gruesome murder advocate Arun Praveen of Palayamkottai surrendered before a court here on Monday even as the police were about to nab him after the contract killers reportedly confessed to the police that they were hired by the lawyer for exterminating Ponnudas of Uchchini Maakaali Amman Temple street in Palayamkottai.
Police said Arun Praveen was trying to get ticket in the ruling DMK for his mother for Ward 35 in Palayamkottai Zone of Tirunelveli Corporation even as Ponnudas, who was close to the DMK office-bearers, was also trying to get ticket for his mother for the same ward. Since there were indications that Ponnudas, who is quite popular among the people belonging to his community voters, was about to win the race, he was first requested and then threatened to withdraw from the race, but he refused.
Against this backdrop, an armed gang hacked him to death near Uchchini Maakaali Amman Temple in Palayamkottai on Saturday night and escaped in the car in which they had come.
After collecting CCTV footages from the cameras installed near the scene of crime and also in the adjoining areas, the police arrested Petchimuthu, Karuppaiah and Azhaguraj, all from Thoothukudi district, Vigneswaran and Eswaran from Sivaganga district and Azhaguraj of Palayamkottai. The contract killers reportedly told the investigators that they had murdered Ponnudas at the behest of Arun Praveen, who surrendered before a court here on Monday.
While being checked by the doctors of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, it was reportedly found that Arun Praveen had liver issues and jaundice and hence he was admitted to TVMCH for treatment.
