JAN.9.2002

A murder last evening followed by a suspicious death in the early hours today triggered violence and tension at Padmanabhamangalam, 40 km from here.

According to the police, rivalry between two groups in the wake of the local bodies elections was said to have led to the incidents.

P. Vinayagam (45), brother of the Padmanabhamangalam panchayat president, P. Arunachalam alias Pandi, was attacked with sickles and hacked to death by a gang as he was entering the village on a two-wheeler around 5 p.m. yesterday. He died on the spot, the police said.

The 11-member gang, was led allegedly by C. Muthuramalingam, a resident of the village. Both the accused and deceased belonged to the same community.

The police said that in the bitterly contested president election, Mr. Arunachalam emerged successful and Muthuramalingam lost.

Following the murder, some houses and shops belonging to the rival group were damaged, the police said. Tension mounted as the body of S. Palani (30), a close relative of Muthuramalingam, was found near the former's house in the early hours of Wednesday. There was no external or internal injury on the body and the cause of death could be ascertained only on receipt of postmortem report, the police said.

In a related incident, a car allegedly used by the accused involved in the murder of Vinayagam, was seized near Peikulam village. The driver was also arrested.

The DIG (Tirunelveli range), T. Rajendran, and the SP, Sumit Sharan, visited the spot and supervised the security arrangements in the village. Police pickets were posted to prevent entry of miscreants. Special teams had been formed to nab the accused.

Padmanabhamangalam is the third village which witnessed untoward incidents, following poll enmity. The other two villages were Konarkulam, where people boycotted the October 19 repoll and Sankaralingapuram, where a police constable was murdered on November 16 as supporters of a defeated candidate resorted to must violence.