Sand mafia killed DMK man: Police

It is said, sand smuggling has been going on for a long time in the Kollidam River bank in Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam district and Maruthavanan (50), a DMK functionary, who has been informing the police about the incidents had passed on the information about the smuggling on Thursday night.

He had told the police that the smugglers have come with a tractor to dredge sand.  On information, the police rushed to the spot and seized the vehicle while the men escaped.

While the police moved the seized vehicle to the police station, the escaped smugglers had reportedly cornered Maruthavanan and had murdered him. Subsequently, police suspected that Settu alias Jayakumar (45) of Sithamalli, Ranjith (38) of the same place and Kanagaraj (35) of Sathangudi were behind the murder and secured them on Friday.

Police said, the accused have confessed that they had murdered him. The body was later taken to Mayiladuthurai GH. Further investigations are on in the illegal sand mining and the death.