TIRUNELVELI: A 60-year-old retired police sub-inspector was killed by a group of unidentified men on Tuesday here, police said.
The victim was identified as Zakir Hussein and he was hacked to death by three assailants when he was returning after his morning prayers at a local mosque, they said.
A local land dispute is suspected to be the reason behind the killing, police said.
Meanwhile, two persons surrendered before a local court in connection with the murder, police said.
The opposition parties slammed the DMK government over the incident.
AIADMK chief and Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, expressed shock over Hussein's killing.
"There is no need for me to explain about the pathetic law and order situation under the DMK government," he said.
Palaniswami stated Hussein was part of the former chief minister, the late M Karunanidhi's security detail earlier and that "he could not return home safely."
BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai said Hussein was a social worker who had spoken out against encroachment of Waqf lands. Hussein had claimed recently in a video that he had received death threats, he said.
The law and order had 'collapsed' to the extent that a former policeman has been murdered, Annamalai said in a social media post.
PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss also expressed concern over the law and order situation in the state in the wake of Hussein's killing.