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Tamil Nadu
By K.T. Sangameswaran
Organised killing of party functionaries, for political reason or otherwise, seems to have become part of "political culture", with about 15 instances of murder having being reported since March 2001. The figure excludes cases of murder of workers of various parties. The "bloody trail" has also left nearly a dozen councillors and chiefs of local bodies dead. Mr. Kiruttinan is probably the highest-level functionary to be murdered in recent times. Besides "enmity with rival parties", intra-party feuds, attempts at establishing supremacy over one another in the party, mainly due to "increasing popularity" of the `victim', post-poll clashes and preventing a leader from rising in the party hierarchy are cited as a few reasons for the brutal killings. For instance, in April 1997, the CPI(M) councilor of Madurai, K.Leelavathy was murdered for her "popularity as a councillor and her social activism, which were not relished by the accused". More daring was the brutal murder of the Urapakkam Panchayat president, Menaka, in March 2001. A gang, armed with lethal weapons, walked into her office, fatally attacked her and escaped. Among the reasons cited was that she was a "prospective candidate" for Assembly elections held later that year. In the few months preceding this occurrence, five persons with political affiliations had been hacked to death in Chengalpattu sub-division. The list is unending: killing of the presidents of Pudur Pandiapuram, Iduvai, Nallur and Sattikurichi panchayats, the AIADMK councillor of Tindivanam municipality, the chairman of the Thally panchayat union in Dharmapuri district and the president of Viruppatchi panchayat board... . The tragedy, which befell the former Saidapet MLA, M.K.Balan, came to light only after a long time, when the police said he was murdered after being abducted by a gang and after his body was found burnt in a cremation ground in the city. "Political violence and murders have come to be accepted by parties," points out an ADGP. What stands out in all these cases is the perfect planning and meticulous execution by gangs, hired by those responsible for the killings. The killer gangs do not hesitate to operate on busy stretches and in broad daylight, though the police claim that patrol parties are pressed into service to keep a watch.
Clinching evidence wanting
Apart from initial tension and frenzied reaction to murders, the incidents fade away from public memory. In many cases, the real motives are never known. Worse still, instances of persons said to be the `brain' or the `bigwigs' who have managed to escape from the clutches of law are not wanting. Only the henchmen or the `hired' killers get caught and the link to the `conspirators' cannot be easily established, sources say. Successful prosecution of cases is doubtful due to absence of clinching evidence, which is wiped out by the killers. Roping in witnesses to testify before the courts is an uphill task. At times, the police come in for stringent criticism by courts for the manner in which the cases are investigated.
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