Chennai: There is no political angle in the murder of V Prabhu, a 29-year-old army personnel, and he is a close relative of DMK councillor R Chinnasamy arrested for the crime, Tamil Nadu police said on Thursday, warning people against spreading rumours.
Prabhu was the grandson of Chinnasamy’s brother. The DMK councillor of Nagajonahalli town panchayat in Krishnagiri district, who was arrested on Wednesday evening, is among the nine accused in the case.
“The accused involved in the case are close blood relatives of the victim and they live close to each other,” Krishnagiri district superintendent of police P Saroj Kumar Thakur said at a press conference. “The case absolutely has no political angle. No political members are involved in the case. The issue started with a petty dispute near a public water tank on February 8.”
The clarification came from the top police official on a day when the BJP went on a demonstration across the state condemning the DMK government’s “cruel disrespect to our Indian Army.”
The SP said all the nine accused involved in the murder case have been arrested and sent to judicial custody. “It was an assault case between close blood relatives over a petty dispute and I repeat it had absolutely no political angle,” he said, warning of action against people who are spreading “false messages” with an intention of maligning the police.
According to the police, Prabhu and his brother Prabhakaran had a heated exchange with the DMK councillor over washing clothes using public drinking water near a tank on February 8. The two groups again entered into an argument later that night, following which Chinnasamy and nine others severely thrashed Prabhu and his brother. Prabhakaran was discharged from the hospital on February 10, while Prabhu succumbed to his head injuries late on February 14.
On February 9, police arrested six accused ,including Chinnasamy’s son who is a police constable in Chennai. Chinnasamy and two of his accomplices who were hiding were arrested on Wednesday.
