A 47-year-old Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary was hacked to death by a gang in Chengalpattu on Sunday night.
A special police team nabbed one of the suspects early on Monday, after opening fire at him, when he attempted to attack it, sources said.
On the morning of Monday, relatives of the victim, Nagaraj, and party cadre, staged a protest, blocking Grand Southern Trunk Road. They refused to accept the body of Nagaraj demanding justice. As tension prevailed in the town, the police tightened security on G.S.T. Road and at Chengalpattu Government Hospital.
According to the police, Nagaraj, PMK’s town secretary in Chengalpattu, ran a flower shop near Manikoondu.
On Sunday night, while he was closing his shop, a gang of seven men riding motorcycles surrounded him, hacked him and fled the spot.
Chengalpattu Town Police rushed to the spot and took Nagaraj to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital, where doctors declared him as brought dead.
Superintendent of Police V.V. Sai Praneeth assured the family that the suspects would be nabbed soon.
Swinging into action, special teams of police launched a hunt based on information that one of the assailants was near the Paranur toll plaza, early on Monday.
P. Pakalavan, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Kancheepuram Range, said: “Our personnel surrounded the suspect. When our men attempted to overpower him, he tried to attack them and escape. Then our personnel shot him in the leg, and caught him.” The arrested man has been identified as Ajay, 24, of Chinna Natham, Chengalpattu. He has been classified as an ‘A’ category rowdy with at least eight criminal cases, including two for murder, pending against him.
He was taken to the Kancheepuram Government Hospital, where he is being treated for his injury.
The police said a few more suspects involved in the murder have been caught and were being interrogated.
