On Tuesday (16th July) morning, a functionary of the Naam Tamilar Katchi party, C Balasubramanian was brutally hacked to death by unidentified assailants. This murder comes days after the state was rocked by the high-profile killing of state BSP Chief K Armstrong in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu: Naam Tamilar Party's Madurai North District Deputy Secretary Balasubramanian was hacked to death this morning when he was walking in BB Kulam: Madurai City Police Commissioner
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2024
On Tuesday, a group of four assailants killed the NTK leader when he was out for a morning walk. The incident took place near the residence of IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Vallabhai Street in Chennai’s Madurai. The deceased NTK leader, Balasubramanian hailed from the Sellur area of Madurai city. He was the Deputy Secretary of Naam Tamilar Katchi Party’s Madurai-North district.
When he was out for a morning walk, the unidentified assailants blocked his path and launched an attack using sharp weapons including sickles. They chased him and hacked him to death near the house of State Minister PT Rajan. The attackers fled from the crime scene leaving behind Balasubramanian in a pool of blood. The NTK leader was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital where he was declared dead. His dead body was sent to Government Rajaji Hospital for post-mortem.
According to media reports, the initial findings have revealed that the deceased NTK leader was a history-sheeter known as ‘Punk’ Bala. There are 3 murder cases registered against the deceased NTK functionary Balasubramanian. He was also embroiled in financial disputes with several individuals.
According to the Police, personal enmity might be the motive behind his murder. As per reports, it is believed that the motive behind the brutal killing could be a financial dispute.
Speaking to ANI, Madurai City Police Commissioner Loganathan said, “It seems that this murder was done because of his family problems. An investigation is underway. We will file an FIR shortly.”
Police sources said that the preliminary investigation revealed that the murder may have been due to personal enmity. Meanwhile, the Police have retrieved the CCTV video of the murder and a probe is underway.
However, this is not the first high-profile killing in the state which has prompted the opposition parties to launch an attack on the ruling DMK party for failure on the law and order front.
One more political killing in Tamil Nadu
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) July 16, 2024
Tamil Nadu: Naam Tamilar Party's Madurai North District Deputy Secretary Balasubramanian was hacked to death this morning
Law & Order – RIP
Rahul Gandhi hasn’t found time to visit
65 Dalits killed in Kallakurichi
Armstrong , Dalit… pic.twitter.com/UUi6OXu6Td
Recent high-profile killings of politicians in the state
On 5th July, K Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was hacked to death by six bike-borne attackers near his house in Chennai. Some of the attackers were reportedly dressed as delivery agents and used sharp weapons during the attack. The incident unfolded when he was standing outside his under-construction house in Perambur. Responding to the gruesome killing, BSP Supremo Mayawati had demanded “punishment for the guilty”.
Later, the Police arrested 8 accused in the case. One of the accused in the case, Thiruvengadam, was killed in a shoot-out near Madhavaram in Chennai.
Two days earlier, on 3rd July, M Shanmugam, a functionary of the AIADMK was murdered in Salem. His wife, S Parameshwari, said that Shanmugam was targeted for filing complaints against the illegal sale of lottery tickets and the drug menace in the area. Based on his wife’s complaint, around a dozen individuals, including a DMK councillor were arrested in this case.
திமுக நிர்வாகி கைது #Salem | #ADMK | #Shanmugam | #DMK | #ibctamil pic.twitter.com/CZTVmJn906
— IBC Tamil (@ibctamilmedia) July 4, 2024
Earlier, a Congress leader, KPK Jeyakumar Dhanasingh (60), died a mysterious death in May 2024. His charred body was discovered at a farmhouse a few days after he had gone missing. He was the party president for Tirunelveli East district.
திருநெல்வேலி வடக்கு மாவட்ட @BJP4Tamilnadu இளைஞரணி பொதுச் செயலாளர், சகோதரர் ஜெகன் பாண்டியன் அவர்கள், சமூக விரோதிகளால் வெட்டிக் கொலை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார் என்ற செய்தி அறிந்து மிகுந்த அதிர்ச்சியடைந்தேன். அவரது குடும்பத்தினருக்கு, ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கல்களைத் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன். சகோதரர்… pic.twitter.com/L4r9rvF9ek
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) August 31, 2023
All these incidents have prompted the opposition parties to launch an attack on the ruling DMK party for failure on the law and order front.
