Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu), Aug 6 (PTI) A Special Sub Inspector of Tamil Nadu police was hacked to death when he attempted to resolve a dispute between a man and the latter’s son in Gudimangalam in the district, police said on Wednesday.
According to police, M Shanmugavel (57), working as a Special Sub Inspector at Gudimangalam police station in Tiruppur district, and Armed Reserve Police constable Azhaguraja, on patrol duty at around 11 pm on August 5, rushed to a private farm upon receiving information about a drunken brawl between two persons.
After arriving, the police tried to pacify the two, but the police official was attacked with a sickle and the constable chased away.
According to West Zone IGP, T Senthil Kumar, there was a dispute within the family and SSI Shanmugavel and constable Azhaguraja, who were on patrol duty, had rushed to the farm near Udumalpet to quell the conflict.
Preliminary enquiry revealed that though Manigandan was suspected to have caused grievous injuries to the SSI, his brother Thangapandian and their father Moorthy were also involved in attacking the official and chasing away the constable, he said.
While Shanmugavel died on the spot, the constable managed to escape a bid on his life.
Six special police teams have been formed to trace and nab Moorthy, who had two criminal offences pending against him and his two sons: Manigandan and Thangapandi, who had four cases pending against them, each, the IGP told reporters here. The culprits damaged the police jeep before escaping.
A case has been registered by the Gudimangalam police and further investigation was on.
Expressing shock over the SSI’s death, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the Special Sub Inspector’s demise was “an irreparable loss to the Tamil Nadu Police and his family.” “I have ordered the police to arrest the culprits involved in this heinous act at the earliest. I have ordered a relief of Rs one crore to be provided to the family of Shanmugavel,” the CM said in a statement. He expressed his deepest condolences and sympathies to the bereaved family.
AIADMK legislator C Mahendran in whose farm the murder occurred, said the farm was being managed by his manager.
“The man (Moorthy) was appointed by the manager. It has been a long time since I visited the farm. It is very unfortunate that an honest police official has lost his life,” Mahendran told reporters.
The Madathukulam MLA, who earlier visited the house of the SSI and consoled his family members, said the government should provide a job to Shanmugavel’s son.
When asked about the incident, Mahendran replied, “Moorthy has been appointed only a year ago. We are cooperating with the police. Right now, the affected family needs our support.” Taking strong exception to the incident, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami sought to know where the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu was heading.
“There are reports that SSI Shanmugavel, who went to investigate a family dispute in Tiruppur district, was murdered. And one person reportedly committed suicide in a SI’s chamber in Coimbatore police station. What has the chief minister to say on these incidents?” Palaniswami asked.
“Police who went to the conflict spot did not have security, and elsewhere someone was so negligent that a man hangs himself in a police station. How are we to take this?” the former chief minister asked in a post on the social media platform ‘X’.
He accused the CM of indulging in “diversion tactics”, and called upon the state government to conduct a proper investigation into the two cases and take appropriate action on the culprits.
AMMK general secretary T T V Dinakaran, in a statement, sought to know how a chief minister who could not protect an SSI would protect the public.
PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss too condemned the heinous act. PTI JSP JSP KH
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