CHENNAI: A 68-year-old panchayat president was allegedly beaten to death with a brick by a worker following an argument over water supply at Thamaraikulam near Valliyur in Tirunelveli district on Friday evening (September 4).
According to a Daily Thanthi report, the deceased was identified as Maharajan, president of Kannanlur Panchayat in Valliyur Union.
Police are searching for the accused, Isakkiyappan (40), a labourer from Thamaraikulam, who allegedly fled the spot after the incident.
Isakkiyappan's house had not received water from the overhead reservoir tank in the area for the past few days. He reportedly went to Maharajan's house on Friday evening and complained about the issue.
An argument subsequently broke out between the two. In a fit of anger, Isakkiyappan allegedly picked up a brick kept at the house for construction work and threw it at Maharajan.
Maharajan suffered a severe head injury and collapsed.
The injured Maharajan was taken to the Nanguneri Government Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
On receiving information, Valliyur police rushed to the spot, recovered the body and sent it to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.