9 in 10 months: Political murders rock Chennai’s suburbs

CHENNAI: Fear has gripped several of Chennai’s suburbs, which come under the neighbouring Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts, where ‘political murders’ have claimed at least nine lives so far this year.
While politics was the underlying factor in most of the cases, the rapid urbanisation of rural areas and soaring land prices have led to many taking up the real estate business, and rivalry and enmity have become common, police said.
In January, Chengalpet municipal councillor K Suresh of the DMDK was hacked to death by rivals, while Pushpalingam, panchayat president of a fishing hamlet near Mamallapuram , was done to death by a gang while on a morning stroll in March. Puratchi Bharatham leader and president of Thirumanam panchayat in Tiruvallur Veeran was killed by a motorcycle-borne gang in April. Last month, AIADMK councillor Paveri Velu was murdered in Singaperumal Koil near Chengalpet, Mannivakkam panchayat president R Purushothaman was killed near Tambaram and businessman-cumfilm producer P P G Kumaran was slain by a 20-member gang. Earlier this month, Ponvilainthapuram panchayat president Vijayakumar of the DMK was murdered in Chengalpet.
Kancheepuram superintendent of police S Manoharan , however, said all these cases could not be termed political murders. “Motives other than politics often lead to murders as people involved in various businesses try to seize control over rival businesses. Passion is another reason,” Manoharan said.
Another officer said jealousy had become common among politicians. “In rural areas, unlike in urban politics, members of all parties line up for a share of the ‘booty’ . Anyone beating a lot of people in the race to the top is not popular and rivals plot to pull him down. In the case of P P G Kumaran, his rival hired professional killers from Madurai to kill him,” the officer said. Seven of the eight cases of murder had been cracked and police said they were close to resolving the murder of DMK panchayat chief Vijayakumar at Chengalpet. “We are initiating severe action against criminals. Some have been detained under the Goondas Act,” the officer said.