Govt pleader murder: Police arrest suspects as protests grow in Tenkasi

TENKASI: Police have formed three special teams to trace the prime accused in the hacking death of government advocate Muthukumarasamy in Tenkasi and are questioning two people, including the suspect’s wife, as part of an intensified search.

The accused, identified as Sivasubramanian from Urmel Azhagiyan village, is believed to have fled to Kerala, according to the officers. His wife Rajeswari and a relative were detained in Madurai and brought in for questioning on Tuesday as investigators attempted to establish the sequence of events leading to the murder.

The killing caused widespread shock across the district, prompting immediate protests from the legal fraternity. More than 100 lawyers staged a road blockade near the new Tenkasi bus stand, demanding swift action against the accused. On Tuesday morning, members of the Tenkasi Bar Association marched wearing black armbands from the same location and submitted a petition to district collector AK Kamal Kishore.

In their plea, they sought the immediate arrest of Sivasubramanian and urged the administration to provide a government job and Rs 1 crore compensation to the family of the deceased advocate. Lawyers said the motive behind the killing must be established quickly and insisted that the accused be arrested without delay.

Police said further details would emerge once the prime suspect is secured.

Muthukumarasamy, who served as a government advocate at the Sengottai court and as deputy organiser of the DMK’s Tenkasi South lawyers’ wing, operated a private office at Koolakkadai Bazaar in Tenkasi town. The day before yesterday, an assailant entered the office, argued with him and attacked him with a sickle. Police rushed the injured advocate to the Tenkasi Government Hospital, where he died shortly after without responding to treatment.