CHENNAI: Thanjavur police on Wednesday arrested four persons for attempting to murder Aduthurai Town Panchayat Chairman Ma Ka Stalin. A search is on for a few others.

A country bomb was hurled at the Aduthurai Town Panchayat office on September 5, with the intention to attack Chairman Stalin, according to the police. Following this, the Tiruvidaimarudur police registered cases against the gang under as many as 11 sections and were searching for the culprits.

In such a backdrop, Lakshmanan (30), a person said to have made the country bomb, committed suicide on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the police, who continued their search operation, arrested four persons who were identified as Mahesh (42) from Thoondivinayagam Pettai near Tiruvidaimarudur, Maruthupandi (32) from the same place, Sanjay (22), and Cheran (27), both from Pitchai Kattalai near Tiruvidaimarudur.

The police further said that a few years ago, Stalin’s supporters murdered Madavan from Soolur in Coimbatore by opening fire over a prolonged enmity.

The police suspect that the bomb attack took place in retaliation for Madavan’s murder, and the deceased Madavan’s son might have played a key role in the incident. Thus, a search is on for him, too.