TIRUNELVELI
Owner of a TASMAC liquor outlet bar was murdered by a four-member armed gang on Wednesday following suspected prior enmity.
Police said T. Karuththapandi, 54, of Mayilapuram near Pettai, was running the bar nearby Thiruppanikarisalkulam. Karuththapandi used to offer prayers in the ‘puja’ room he had created in the bar even though the liquor outlets have been closed due to COVID-19 lockdown.
When Karuththapandi was offering prayers in the puja room on Wednesday morning, four persons, who came to the bar on two bikes, hacked him. Even though he pushed them aside and ran out of the puja room, the armed gang hacked him to death in front of the bar.
Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan, ASP, Cheranmahadevi, Pradeep, and team sent the body to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.
After the goats of Karuththapandi’s relative were stolen recently, he reportedly played a pivotal role in the registration of case against four suspects, who might have murdered him, the police believe.
Following preliminary inquiry, the police have picked up four persons.