The Auroville police on Wednesday arrested six persons in connection with the murder of A. Joseph, north district president of the Congress in Puducherry, at Bommayarpalayam on the East Coast Road on Monday.
The police said a special team arrested the accused, whose names were given as Chandirasekaran, 52, Mohan, 49, Parthiban, 53, and Selvakumar, 38 of Periyakalapet; Anandan, 57, and Kumaresan, 44, of Pillaichavady.
Joseph, 43, a resident of Murugan Kovil Street in Kalapet, was riding his two-wheeler from Kalapet to Puducherry when two persons wearing helmets and riding a motorcycle intercepted him in front of a beach resort on the ECR. The duo slashed Joseph on his neck and fled the scene.
The police business rivalry was the reason behind the murder. Joseph was a labour contractor for Strides Shasun, a private pharmaceutical company in Kalapet. He was supporting the pharmaceutical company’s plan for expansion while the other group was opposing it. His rivals were reportedly jealous of his growth in business and politics.
The police said that Vinoth, son of Parthiban, one of the accused, was recently sacked by the company as the latter was against the company’s expansion plan. The accused hatched a conspiracy and allegedly murdered him.
