Tirunelveli Violence: Two persons, including a migrant worker from Odisha, were killed, and several others were injured after a group of goons attacked them in Nanguneri, Tamil Nadu. Police on Tuesday said two were hacked to death and five people sustained injuries in this attack. The condition of the two victims was critical.
According to police, the deceased were identified as John Mark (47), a resident of Perumpathu village, and 57-year-old Srinath Gadda from Odisha.
Some Assailants Arrested
News agency, PTI, quoting top government sources, reported that 'some of the assailants' were traced and arrested later in the day. Those who sustained injuries and were admitted to the district government hospital are A Nelson, P Prabhakaran, V Ramaswamy, A Ganesan and S Sasikumar.
"Police is taking tough action. They have traced and arrested some people. They are conducting a detailed enquiry," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Cause Of Attack Yet To Be Found
The victims were at a tea shop on Monday night when the goons, travelling on three motorcycles, attacked them with a sickle and other weapons. Two persons died on the spot. The Police formed six special teams late on Monday night and are holding an enquiry by collecting the CCTV footage and other data, he said. "It is a sensitive case. The police will take tough action," he said, without further elaborating.
Locals Threaten To Boycott Polls
The attack triggered a protest led by the locals, demanding that the perpetrators be arrested. They also threatened that they would boycott the forthcoming election if they didn't arrest the perpetrators.
"We do not know the reason behind this incident. We demand that the police arrest the accused, or we will boycott the election," a resident said.
Opposition Questions Law And Order
The attack in the election year also drew political criticism from the Opposition. AIADMK slammed the ruling DMK government, terming the incident "a consequence of the negligent attitude of the DMK government".
The Opposition also asked whether the DMK government intended "to keep this region in a perpetual state of tension". Actor-politician Vijay-led TVK criticised the government for the incident, saying, "In an administration that says it competes with the world, where is the guarantee for the lives of the general public?"
(With PTI Inputs)