AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday alleged that the murder of a 55-year-old man in Coimbatore district was related to the illegal sale of liquor and further demanded the arrest of DMK partymen, who were allegedly involved in the murder.
In a statement, the former Chief Minister cited media reports to claim that the man identified as Selvaraj had questioned DMK functionaries over sale and overpricing of liquor in villages in Thondamuthur Assembly constituency.
Two DMK functionaries Rahul and Gokul, among others, went to Kadadimadai and assaulted Selvaraj in the public and later took him to nearby forest area, Mr. Palaniswami said. The murder and alleged attempts by DMK functionaries threatening public not to turn witness in this case had led to unrest and tension in the area, he said.
Contending that the murder could have been avoided if the police had taken appropriate action, Mr. Palaniswami demanded action against functionaries of the ruling party as well as the police personnel, who failed to stop the illegal sale of liquor in the area.