Chennai: A CPI Union Secretary, Nadesa Thamizharvan, from Needamangalam in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvarur district was hacked to death by a gang of ten people on Wednesday. Police said that Thamizharvan died on the spot after the gang made a scathing attack on the CPI leader with sharp weapons. Thamizharvan has been at the forefront of several land-related agitations for the farmers at Needamangalam.
After the gruesome murder of Thamizharvan, tensions prevail on Thursday as CPI cadres took to the streets and forced the shutters of shops to shut in the area. A 200-member strong police force led by Tiruvarur district Superintendent of Police, V. Vijayakumar was camping.
The CPI cadres and leaders who reached the spot did not allow the police to remove the body of the deceased leader and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
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Thanjavur Deputy Inspector General of Police, Pravesh Kumar who visited the spot said that the police have identified the culprits and that they would be arrested soon.
Police said that Thamizharvan had in addition to cases related to fighting for the farmer's rights a few criminal cases and rivalry that may be the reason for his murder. The police also suspect the role of a former CPI functionary, who quit the party and joined another party, behind the murder.
According to a news agency, CPI local leader Muthumaran said, "Nadesa Thamizharvan was a leader by his own rights and has been the party union secretary for the past ten years. One cannot be a party leader continuously in a local area without people's support and the police cases against him were only political and he had no criminal background. We want the police to arrest the culprits immediately or the party would resort to agitations."
(With inputs from IANS)