A 56-year-old Village Administrative Officer (VAO) of Murappanadu in Thoothukudi district, identified as Lourdhu Francis, was hacked to death allegedly by members of sand mining mafia operating along the Thamirabarani watercourse, while he was at his office on Tuesday (April 25) afternoon. His family alleged that he had been facing threats from the mafia and was not given police protection, even though he had asked for it.
According to the police, Mr. Francis was working as the VAO of Murappanadu, on the Thoothukudi – Palayamkottai Highway, a region known for illegal sand mining. As he was reportedly informing the police and his higher-ups about the illegal sand miners operating in the area, he had earned the mafia’s enmity.
On Tuesday afternoon, two persons trespassed into his office and brutally hacked him, leaving him grievously injured and bleeding on the floor. After passers-by alerted the Murappanaadu police, they rushed him to the Government Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Police detain one man, search is one for another
Superintendent of Police L. Balaji Saravanan visited the spot, and deployed a special team to nab the assailants. The police have already detained one individual, Ramasubramanian, an illicit sand miner from nearby Kaliyaavoor, and a hunt is on to arrest his associate, Marimuthu, police said.
The Murappanaadu police have registered a case.
A preliminary investigations revealed that Ramasubramanian and Marimuthu were actively involved in illicit sand quarrying from areas along the Thamirabarani watercourse as demand for river sand is heavy in this region. Since the Tamil Nadu Government is yet to open a sand quarry in the southern districts, the builders have access to only M-Sand and hence the demand for illegally-mined river sand is is high, notwithstanding its price.
Collector promises action
District Collector K. Senthil Raj visited the hospital where the body of Lourdhu Francis has been kept, and condoled with the family of the deceased officer. “We will take stringent action against those who have murdered the VAO in this brutal manner and ensure they are punished,” he said.
According to officials, when Francis was earlier working as the VAO of Adichanallur, he had ensured the removal of an encroachment on government poramboke land, as the government had identified this land for establishing a museum to display artefacts from the ongoing Adichanallur excavations. Agitated over this, the encroachers had tried to murder him then, but he had escaped.
“Since I personally know Lourdhu Francis was an upright and brave officer, we detained the encroachers under the Goondas Act. We have started an investigation and will ensure the early conviction of the murderers,” Dr. Senthil Raj said.
No protection given, alleges family
The murdered VAO’s family alleged that Francis, who had been working in Murappanadu for the past 18 months, had filed a complaint with the police on April 13 last, seeking protection for himself from the illicit sand miners and the encroachers who had tried to murder him.
“Since the police failed to protect him, we have lost the head of our family,” a family member said.
Dr. Senthil Raj said this complaint would also be looked into.
T.N. CM announces solatium
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condoled the death of Francis and announced a financial assistance of ₹1 crore from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.
The CM also said that one of the family members of the deceased would be provided with a government job.
R. Arulraj, General Secretary of Village Administrative Officers’ Association also condoled the death and urged the State government to arrest those involved in the murder.
Frequent incidents: EPS
AIADMK’s general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami deplored the killing of Francis. He said such incidents had been taking place frequently and he had raised it in the Assembly and at public platforms. But, the State government had not paid attention, he added.
AMMK’s general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran sought to know the action being taken by the government against the guilty, and asked whether the government was “afraid” of taking on anti-social elements.
