'Panchayat president begged for life before being murdered'

CHENNAI: Even as the murderers of panchayat president near Minjur are yet to be arrested, police after inquiring the family members said that the deceased Manoharan of Kondakarai village begged his attackers to let him live and offered to pay them whatever it takes for his life.

However, the seven-member gang hacked Manoharan to death in front his wife and children when they were returning home after attending an event at Kuruvimedu.

The gang first hit Manoharan's car with a truck and damaged the front of his car. Panicked Manoharan got down to quarrel with the truck driver when the men hiding in the truck got down and attacked him with machetes before fleeing in the same truck.

Tension prevailed in the locality after the murder and villagers gathered in large numbers demanding the arrest of Manoharan's murder. Minjur police pacified the crowd ans sent Manoharan's body for post-mortem.

Police said that Manoharan, an AIADMK functionary and a second-time panchayat president of Kondakarai, called the shots when it came to taking up contract work at various factories in the industrial area, which irked others in the business.

Police suspect that he could have been murdered over this enmity, but other possibilities are also being probed since he too has cases pending against him. While suspects were detained for inquiry on Monday, they were let off later, said police.

Meanwhile, residents of Kondakarai and neighbouring villages gathered in large numbers to pay homage to Manoharan.

A heavy posse of police had been posted at the residence of Manoharan where visitors stood in a queue to pay their last respects to the deceased.