The district Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam deputy secretary A.C. Arunachalam alias Aruna (52) of Samuelpuram under Tuticorin North police station limits was murdered by unidentified persons on Saturday.
According to police sources, Aruna was taking a walk with his friend Murugan (40), a hardware merchant, in the morning. When they reached S.S. Manickapuram Main Road, Aruna, a staunch supporter of DMK Tuticorin district secretary N. Periyasamy, was knocked down by a speeding car. Four unidentified armed persons got down from the vehicle and attacked the DMK office-bearer with sickles even as Murugan fled the scene in fear. Sustaining deep cut on the neck and the hip, Aruna died on the spot.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, K.P. Shanmugarajeshwaran and Superintendent of Police (in-charge) Vijayendra S. Bidari visited the spot and conducted enquiries.
Aruna was an accused in the murder of a trade union activist of a Tuticorin-based textile unit in 1994 and he was subsequently arrested under the Goondas Act.
Police suspect that the enmity he had earned over allotting the cycle parking contract at new bus-stand to one of his friends might have led to the murder.
