On the day a senior functionary of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) party was hacked to death by an unidentified gang in Madurai, Tamil Nadu have arrested four individuals in connection with the murder, which is believed to be the result of a family property dispute. The Tallakulam police made the arrests within hours of the murder confirming that the victim was targeted while on his morning walk.
On the murder, the police said that the victim was chased and brutally attacked by the gang on Vallabhai Road in Tallakulam police jurisdiction.
The victim, Balasubramanian, who served as the Madurai district deputy secretary of NTK, was killed just days after the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state chief K Armstrong in Chennai. Despite the timing, police have ruled out any political motive behind his killing.
According to police, the murder stemmed from a longstanding property dispute between one Mahalingam and his brother's son-in-law, Pandiyarajan. Balasubramanian had been supporting Pandiyarajan in the dispute frequently causing trouble for Mahalingam.
In an attempt to resolve the dispute, Pandiyarajan arranged the marriage of his daughter, Priya, to Mahalingam's son, Alaguvijay. However, the marriage failed leading to Priya filing for maintenance and divorce against Alaguvijay. In March 2024, tensions escalated when Pandiyarajan demanded Mahalingam to allocate the property share meant for Priya. A quarrel ensued, resulting in a case being registered and Mahalingam and his relatives were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
Amid these ongoing disputes, Priya informed her husband, Alaguvijay, that her father was planning an assault on Mahalingam with the help of Balasubramanian. Acting on this information, Mahalingam, his son Alaguvijay, and their associates—Bharath, Naga Irulvel, Gokusakannan, and Penni—allegedly murdered Balasubramanian, who had a history of criminal activity.
The police have arrested all the accused, and the case is currently under investigation.
The NTK party's chief coordinator, Seeman, condemned the murder and called for the immediate arrest of the culprits.