Another Politician Hacked To Death In Tamil Nadu, Cops Say Revenge Killing

A functionary of Naam Thamizhar Katchi party (NTK) was hacked to death in Tamil Nadu's Madurai this morning. Balasubramanian, police said, was on a morning walk when he was targeted. Police denied it's a political murder and said it was a revenge attack.

"Initial investigation suggests that it's a murder out of vengeance due to a family dispute. Investigation is underway. There is no CCTV in the vicinity," a police officer told NDTV.

Allegations that Balasubramanian was a history-sheeter involved in three murder cases have also surfaced.

This comes just a week after Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Tamil Nadu chief K Armstrong was hacked to death by six men on bikes. Police have said Armstrong was killed in retaliation to the murder of gangster Arcot Suresh. Suresh's family, police said, suspected Armstrong to have planned his killing.

Thiruvengadam, one of the eleven accused in the K Armstrong murder case, was shot dead in a police encounter in Chennai Sunday. Police said the accused opened fire while trying to recover a countrymade gun from a hideout, and was killed in retaliatory firing.

The Tamil Nadu government transferred Chennai Police Commissioner Sandeep Rathore in the aftermath of the BSP leader's murder and appointed A Arun. The new top cop has said he would crack down on rowdies and "speak to them in the language they understand".