.
Chennai: A 46-year-old history-sheeter was chased down and hacked to death by five men, even as his friends screamed for help in Besant Nagar on Saturday night. Police said Kannan and his associates were involved in the murder of Bharani’s uncle Siva in Adyar in 2009. Bharani’s father Velu was also murdered in Saidapet in 2016.
Police said Kannan was standing near his office on Ellaiamman Koil Street near Ramasamy Avenue in Vannanthurai when the gang arrived on two-wheelers and surrounded him. Police said Bharani had been nursing a grudge over the two killings and roped in his friends to attack Kannan. Kannan tried to escape, but they chased him and repeatedly attacked him with knives and machetes before fleeing. The deceased resided in Vannanthurai and operated cars on hire for IT companies. He was a B-category history-sheeter on the records of Sastri Nagar police station and had been under police surveillance. The arrested men were identified as Bharani of Rukmani Nagar in Adyar, Rakesh of Govindarajapuram in Adyar, Naresh of Periyar Nagar in Thiruvanmiyur, Manikandan of Kottur and Hariharan of Indira Nagar in Adyar. Following the murder, Greater Chennai Police commissioner A Amalraj transferred Adyar deputy commissioner A C Karthikeyan and Sastri Nagar inspector Rohini to Vacancy Reserve (assigned without any postings).
He had earlier served as AIADMK ’s secretary of the 174th south ward unit before quitting the party and joining TVK along with his supporters about two months ago.
Based on a complaint from Kannan’s cousin Purushothaman, Sastri Nagar police registered a murder case. Further investigation is underway.