Ex-DMK minister hacked to death in Madurai

According to relatives of the deceased, the former minister had woken up today around 4.30 am, as was his daily routine, and left home by 5 am. He would walk a kilometre to the Lake View Road and return by around 6 am.

He was hardly 50 metres away from his residence when the assailants attacked today. Hearing the commotion, Krittinan’s family members came out and saw him lying in a pool of blood. They immediately rushed him to a nearby private hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The body bore stab wounds in the neck and chest.

The Anna Nagar police have registered a case under Section 302. Three special teams have been formed to nab the culprits. Sources said the police have questioned an eyewitness to the murder.

Elaborate bandobust arrangements were made in the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), where the body was sent for post-mortem. Around 11 am, the body was taken to his residence and then to his native village.

The entire DMK rank and file had assembled at the GRH mortuary as early as 7 am. Many of them were in an inebriated mood and accused Karunanidhi’s Madurai-based son M.K. Azhagiri and his men of committing the murder. However, senior functionaries prevailed on the cadres to remain calm. Krittinan was a prominent leader of the M.K. Stalin camp.

While the exact reason for the murder was not known, police have not ruled out intra-party rivalry.

Krittinan was elected to the Lok Sabha twice and was a Rajya Sabha member between 1989 and 1996.