A Village Administrative Officer (VAO) was hacked to death in broad daylight inside his office allegedly by the sand mafia in Murapanadu in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday (25 April 2023). He was killed reportedly for opposing illegal transportation of sand from the locality.
The victim was identified as Lourth Francis (55), who had recently alerted the district administration and the police about illegal mining activities in and around the village.
Two unidentified assailants entered his office at around noon and hacked him indiscriminately and fled the scene. The victim with multiple cut injuries on his body was rushed to a Government Hospital, where he died. Thoothukudi SP L. Balaji Saravanan inspected the spot and held enquiries. The motive behind the incident is yet to be known. Murappanadu police have filed a case. Special teams formed to nab the culprits, sources said.
The VAO’s family alleged he had recently sought police protection stating he faced a threat to his life, but the police failed to act on his complaint.
Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced an ex-gratia of ₹1 crore to the deceased’s family.
It is worth noting that CM Stalin had announced just ₹20 lakh for the family of D Lakshmanan, the deceased army personnel, who died in the terrorist attack in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2022.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.