RAMANATHAPURAM
A five-member unidentified gang hacked BJP’s district functionary, an autorickshaw driver, on the outskirts of the town on Thursday night.
Police said R. Veerabagu (45), BJP’s district office-bearer, was returning in his autorickshaw after dropping a passenger at AR Hospital, when a man boarded the vehicle for a ride to Peravur. Before reaching Peravur, the man asked Mr. Veerabagu to stop at an isolated place near MG Public School when four miscreants waiting there hacked him, the police said.
After the man alighted from the vehicle, Mr. Veerabagu too got down and was standing behind the auto, when the miscreants attacked him and escaped under the cover of darkness, the police said.
When he tried to ward off the attack, Mr. Veerabagu suffered cut injuries on both his hands and a small cut injury on his head. After the miscreants escaped on two-wheelers, Mr. Veerabagu boarded a government bus and reached Bazar police station, after which, he was admitted to the government district headquarters hospital.
Hospital sources said he was conscious and his condition was stable. The police said the BJP office-bearer blamed members of another community for the attack but could not give reasons or motive for it.
Superintendent of Police Omprakash Meena said the victim had no previous enmity and was not facing any threat. He said a special team, headed by Additional SP S. Velladurai and comprising DSP Nataraj, had been formed to nab the iscreants.
Meanwhile, a section of party volunteers staged a road block agitation in the town, protesting against the attack and they were dispersed by the police.
