- DMK Panchayat President Vinayagam Palaniswami was arrested for allegedly murdering a man in Tiruppur district
- The victim was killed after being run over by the politician's SUV while riding a two-wheeler
- Initial reports suggested a hit-and-run, but the case was later investigated as murder due to suspicions
DMK Panchayat President, Vinayagam Palaniswami, was arrested in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur district for allegedly murdering a man who had flagged irregularities.
According to the police, the politician killed the man, identified as Palaniswami, by running his SUV over him while he was riding a two-wheeler.
Investigators say the local body president was drunk, and initially, it was believed to be a hit-and-run case. However, the victim's family suspected foul play, as he had issues with the Panchayat chief. The case was then turned into a murder investigation.
A senior police officer told NDTV, "Palaniswami (the victim) had complained about a private road not being handed over to the panchayat. This appears to be the trigger. He had raised many other issues too. We are investigating".
A case of murder has been registered. A local court remanded the accused to judicial custody.
The incident comes at a time when the opposition in the state is accusing the ruling DMK of a rise in crime and a decline in law and order. However, the ruling party and the state police have denied the allegations, claiming that crime in the state is among the lowest and that stringent action is being taken on every such case.
