COIMBATORE: In a gruesome incident, a burglary gang allegedly hacked to death a 55-year-old man, a relative of State Finance Minister O Paneerselvam, at a house in the posh Barathi Colony at Peelamedu here, in the wee hours of Tuesday.Police said the burglars attacked Sathyamurthy with sickles when he tried to raise an alarm.Sathyamurthy, a manager in Aditya agency, had gone home to Theni district and returned to the agency office in Barathi Colony around 3.30 am on Tuesday.“Upon his arrival, he sensed the presence of some persons on the backside of the house and went there to check. On seeing him, the gang quickly covered his face with a bedsheet and repeatedly attacked him with sharp weapons,” an investigating officer told Express.The incident came to light around 9.30 am when car driver Vignesh came to the office and saw Sathyamurthy lying in pool of blood.“The chain lock on the front was broken and all the doors were open. As I could not find him in his room, I went to the backside of the house, where I saw him dead,” he said. On information, senior police officials, including City Police Commissioner Amaresh Pujari, visited the scene of the crime.Police said the burglars had looted Rs 14,000 cash, a cellphone and driven away a car parked in the verandah. Sources said Sathyamurthy was a close relative of State Finance Minister O Panneerselvam and also his neighbour at Thenkarai village in Periyakulam of Theni district. Sathyamurthy is survived by wife and two daughters. His elder daughter got married only a month ago, while his younger daughter is studying in Theni.“Three special teams were formed to nab the culprits. We have got vital clues and will arrest the culprits soon,” Pujari said.A sniffer dog, Chitra, was pressed into service.The incident has shocked residents of the colony as it had taken place despite the presence of two watchmen and checkposts on the street. “Such an incident has never taken place in our neighbourhood. Every night, after 11, we close all the checkposts in the area, except for the one on the main street. At least one watchmen will be present in a street. Also, we appoint only familiar persons as watchmen,” said Radhakrishnan, secretary of the Bharathi Colony Residents’ Welfare Association.
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