VAO hacked to death in Tamil Nadu

MADURAI: Two unidentified men hacked a village administrative officer to death at Murappanadu in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. Police arrested a man in connection with the murder.
Preliminary investigations by police revealed that the VAO, Y Lourdu Francis, 53, was against the sand mafia operating in the region. He hailed from Pudukottai in Tuticorin city.
Police said two unidentified men entered his office at Murappanadu around 12.30pm and hacked him with sickles before fleeing. Francis sustained grievous injuries. Villagers alerted the Murappanadu police. The police rushed to the spot and sent Francis to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital. However, he died in hospital.
Tuticorin collector Dr K Senthilraj and SP Balaji Saravanan visited the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital. They met the family members of the deceased official and comforted them.
The collector said Francis was an upright officer and was instrumental in redeeming government land from encroachers in Adichanallur where he had been a VAO earlier. When the authorities inspected land for the Adichanallur site museum, Francis brought to the knowledge of the collector that it had been encroached upon and it could be redeemed for the museum later.
He had been assaulted in Adichanallur too, and the culprits had been booked under the Goondas Act, collector said.
Francis had been working in Murappanadu village for the last one-and-half-years, he said.
Senthilraj said Francis had got a case registered against the sand mafia, and the administration would take action.
“He was an honest officer and was ready to work in any area wherever he was posted. It was unfortunate that we lost such an official. The SP visited the crime spot, and the investigation is under way. Strict action will be taken against the people involved,” the collector said.
The Murappanadu police registered a case. The police arrested Ramasubbu in connection with the murder. He was booked last week for sand smuggling. He along with his accomplice hacked the VAO to death, according to the police. Search was under way for the other accused.
Chief minister M K Stalin condoled the VAO’s death and sanctioned Rs 1 crore as compensation to his family.