Seven murders in a week in Madurai

Madurai: Seven back-to-back murders in the last one week in Madurai city and rural areas is keeping the police, who are busy with election related works, on their toes.

On Thursday, Nandini Kumar, 33, a construction labourer from Nilaiyur was hacked to death by an unidentified gang. Police said that Kumar, who was married and has a seven-month-old child, was in an extramarital relationship. He could have been murdered due to a fallout in the affair, police said.

In another incident on Wednesday, R Thangapandi, 38, from Jaihindpuram was clubbed to death by unidentified people in Karpaga Nagar in Villapuram. Thangapandi, who was running a petty shop was returning home when he was murdered.

Two murders took place in Koodakovil police limits in on Wednesday and Thursday. V Periyasamy, 56, from Nedumadurai was found dead on Wednesday in a well near Chinnamanuthu with a stab injury on his neck. Inquiries revealed that his nephew C Mokkasamy, 25, murdered him in a dispute over setting trap for hares. The Koodakovil police arrested Mokkasamy.

In another incident, M Mayandi, 40, was clubbed to death by his elder brother, M Rajaram on Wednesday night in a dispute over sharing money. Rajaram was arrested.

Three more murders took place in the city last Friday and Saturday.

Police said that all the murders were either due to issues within the family or due to personal enmity. There is no need to panic as law and order is very much under control, a police official said.