In connection with the murder of a 32-year-old political functionary from Karaikal, 11 individuals surrendered in Mayiladuthurai and Villupuram districts and were subsequently arrested.
The case pertains to the brutal killing of H. Manimaran, a member of the Tamilaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi, who was hacked to death in broad daylight on July 4. Police suspect the murder was an act of retaliation for an earlier homicide linked to a land dispute.
Manimaran, a native of Thirunallar in Karaikal, was the prime accused in the 2021 murder of Deivamani, a district secretary of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and his relative. Deivamani was killed on October 22, 2021, over a long-standing land dispute. Manimaran, who had since secured bail, had continued to be politically active and held a key position in the party.
According to the police, Manimaran was returning to Karaikal from Mayiladuthurai after participating in a party membership drive on July 4. As his car reached near a private college in Kalakasthinathapuram, under Sembanarkoil police limits, it was intercepted by a gang in two cars. The assailants smashed his car and attacked him with sickles. Manimaran suffered head injuries and died on the spot. The assailants fled immediately after the attack.
Following the incident, Mayiladuthurai Superintendent of Police G. Stalin formed five special teams to investigate the murder. Preliminary investigations, including CCTV footage analysis, suggested a revenge motive linked to the earlier murder of Deivamani.
On Sunday, four individuals — Prabhakaran, 29, son of Deivamani, and his associates Gunasekaran, 23, Veeramani, 45, and driver Murugan, 23, all residents of Thirunallar — surrendered at Palaiyur police station in Mayiladuthurai. They reportedly confessed to involvement in the attack. They were subsequently taken into custody by the investigation team led by inspector Karunakaran from the Sembanarkoil station. Police sources said one car suspected to have been used in the attack was seized from the group.
Meanwhile, in Villupuram district, seven more individuals surrendered at the Valavanur police station all reportedly from the Karaikal region. Villupuram police handed over the suspects to their Mayiladuthurai counterparts, who are now investigating their role in the conspiracy and execution of the murder.
