M A I N   N E W S

DMK ex-minister murdered

Madurai, May 20
Former Tamil Nadu Highways Minister in the previous DMK regime and three-time Member of Parliament T Kiruttinan was found murdered near his home while returning from the morning walk.

The 66-year-old minister is survived by wife, a son and a daughter. Going by the injuries inflicted on Kiruttinan, the police suspected that a ‘professional gang’ might be behind the crime. A doctor of the Government Hospital here told PTI that the three cut injuries and two stab injuries clearly established that it was a case of ‘murder’.

Special teams had been sent to different places to nab the culprits, police sources said.

Meanwhile, DMK President M Karunanidhi today expressed shock at the murder of his senior party leader. The party flags would fly at half-mast for three days from today as a mark of respect to the departed leader. All party functions too would stand cancelled during this period.

Madurai Police Commissioner Kandasamy told newsmen that the DMK leader could have been murdered around 6 am. Security in both Madurai and neighbouring Sivaganga district, Kiruttinan’s home district, had been beefed up due to prevalence of tension in some pockets.

The police, who had taken into custody some key witnesses in connection with the case, said the family members of the former minister had heard the cries from the street corner and rushed to the spot. They saw Kiruttinan lying in a pool of blood and he was immediately rushed to a private hospital nearby where he was pronounced dead.

After post-mortem, the body was taken to his native village, Kombukaranendal, near Tirupacheti in Sivaganga district for the final rites. The police said apparently Kiruttinan did not run after he was attacked in the back of his head. He had fallen flat and was then hacked.

Kiruttinan was in-charge of the party’s Sivaganga and Madurai units, as the zonal head. He was busy till late last night discussing the organisational elections for the party due to be held between May 21 and 23. PTI