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DMK leader hacked to death
VIOLENT REACTION: Buses were burnt at Koradachery in Thiruvarur district following the murder of Poondi Kalaichelvam, DMK district secretary, on Saturday.
TIRUVARUR: Poondi K. Kalaichelvam (45), Tiruvarur district secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, was hacked to death by a group of persons at his residence at Koradachery, 20 km from here, on Saturday morning.
The police have secured four persons and are continuing their investigations. Mr. Kalaichelvam was an accused in the murder of Sampath, an AIADMK activist, at Koradachery three years ago.
The assailants came in a Tata Sumo and gained access on the pretext of inviting Mr. Kalaichelvam for a function. They presented him an invitation on a plate and a shawl. As Mr. Kalaichelvam was looking at the invitation, one of them took out a sickle and inflicted a deep cut on his head. Mr. Kalaichelvam, whose head was split open, died on the spot. The attackers hurled a bomb to scare away people in the vicinity and escaped in their vehicle. The body of Mr. Kalaichelvam was taken to the Tiruvarur Government Hospital for post-mortem. It was brought back to his residence by noon.
As news of his death spread, infuriated DMK workers went on the rampage. They set ablaze a couple of state transport corporation buses and damaged two more in stone-throwing on the Thanjavur-Tiruvarur main road at Koradachery.
Union Minister of State for Finance S.S. Palanimanickam, State Ministers M.K. Stalin, Arcot N. Veerasamy and Ko. Si. Mani visited Koradachery and paid homage.
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi expressed his condolences to the family of Mr. Kalaichelvam.
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