Chennai, Aug 29:
Five special police teams have been formed to track down the unidentified assailants who hacked a VCK functionary to death at Tiruneermalai near Tambaram on Friday afternoon, with investigators examining CCTV footage and forensic evidence collected from the scene.
According to Tambaram Commissionerate police, the victim, identified as Anbalagan alias Mainakutti, 40, was hacked to death by a group of unidentified men inside a mandapam building on Tiruneermalai Main Road under the Shankar Nagar police station limits.
The incident took place at around 2.15 pm on August 28.
Anbalagan, a resident of Nagalkeni who was living with his family at KK Nagar, was reportedly involved in handling gravel sand for construction work at a local quarry.
Police said he had 14 criminal cases against him, including two murder cases registered in 2009 and 2021.
According to the preliminary investigation, Anbalagan had arrived at Tiruneermalai Main Road at around 9 am for work.
He remained at the mandapam with his friends Prabhu and Balaji until around 1.45 pm. The two friends then left for lunch.
When Prabhu returned at around 2.30 pm, he allegedly saw a group of four to five unidentified men armed with knives entering the building.
The assailants reportedly threatened Prabhu and prevented him from intervening before attacking Anbalagan inside the building.
After the killing, the suspects reportedly fled the scene using an autorickshaw and a two-wheeler.
Police registered a case at the Shankar Nagar police station and deployed forensic personnel to examine the crime scene.
Investigators are studying CCTV recordings from the surrounding area to identify the suspects and trace the vehicles allegedly used by them.
Five special teams have been formed to identify and arrest those responsible.
Police are also examining the victim’s previous criminal cases and possible rivalries as part of the investigation into the motive behind the killing.
The incident has caused concern in the Tiruneermalai area, with police stepping up efforts to secure the suspects at the earliest.These are written in a straight newspaper copy style, with the political allegations attributed rather than presented as established fact.