CHENNAI: The leader of the Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camp in Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district was hacked to death by a gang inside the camp on Saturday night, leading to a tense situation. Supporters of the deceased man ransacked the houses of the suspects and staged protests, and riot police were brought to the scene to control the situation.
Police said that six people, including two women, all from the same family, have been arrested in connection with the murder.
The deceased, Kanna alias Sivakumar (42), was the administrative committee leader in the camp, where more than 3,000 persons reside. Probe revealed that the gang rounded up Sivakumar when he was on a walk and repeatedly attacked him with weapons and fled the scene.
Other residents rushed to Sivakumar's aid and rushed him to the Ponneri GH and later to the Tiruvallur GH, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Sivakumar's family and supporters staged a road roko on the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway, demanding severe action against the assaulters. Some ransacked the houses of persons whom they suspected of being behind the murder. Police held talks with the residents and pacified the situation.
Police said that the attack was led by Selva and his brother, Mahendran and their family members, Deepak, Akash Prasanna, Pushpa Jothi and Akshaya.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Selva's family had a longstanding enmity with Sivakumar, and he was upset that his son was not allotted a house during the recent allocation and suspected Sivakumar of being behind the non-allocation.