DINDIGUL: A key accused in the murder of DMK functionary ‘Bathroom’ Murugan was hacked to death in broad daylight on the Dindigul-Natham highway on Tuesday.

The Dindigul police secured four persons in connection with the murder and are questioning them.

According to the police, a gang intercepted Veerapathiran, a key accused in the murder case, while he was travelling with his wife on a two-wheeler near Nochiodaipatti village and hacked him to death. During the attack, Veerapathiran’s wife fell from the two-wheeler and suffered serious injuries. She was rescued by the police and taken to the Dindigul Government Medical College Hospital in a 108 ambulance.

Following the orders of Dindigul Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar, a special police team led by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manjima seized a Scorpio vehicle allegedly used by the assailants to escape and recovered deadly weapons from it.

The police suspect that the murder could be an act of revenge and are questioning four relatives of ‘Bathroom’ Murugan in connection with the case.

According to police, ‘Bathroom’ Murugan, a Dindigul Corporation contractor and DMK functionary, was allegedly abducted in a car and hacked to death inside the moving vehicle in July 2025. The murder was reportedly linked to previous enmity over a dispute concerning the accounts of the Kaliamman Temple at Mettupatti.

Police had arrested eight persons, including Murugan’s car driver, in connection with the murder. All of them had been released on bail recently. Veerapathiran, a resident of Mettupatti, was named as an accused in the murder case.