A BJP district commerce wing member died in a scuffle in Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday. According to police reports, Kumar was beaten during a scuffle and soon he fell to the ground resulting in his death. Investigators believe that both the victim and the accused were under the influence of alcohol when the altercation escalated fatally.
The initial inquiries suggest that the motive behind the attack was personal rather than political, as per a report on India Today.
Sathish Kumar, who operated a two-wheeler workshop in Sivaganga, had rented a room near his workplace along with his employee Manibharathi for rest. On the night of the incident, Kumar was reportedly consuming alcohol with a friend in the room when a quarrel broke out between him and a group of men staying nearby.
During the heated exchange, Kumar collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness, reported Times of India. He was immediately rushed to the Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead.
Howeverm authorities still detained more than five individuals in connection with the incident and are interrogating them for further details. However, the main suspects remain on the run. Sivagangai police confirmed that several leads are being pursued and expressed confidence that key arrests will be made within the day.
Attacks On BJP Functionaries
This violent incident comes amid a troubling trend of attacks on BJP functionaries in the state. The incident comes close to the heels of the murder of a 39-year-old BJP member from Rajakapatti in Dindigul district. On July 4 this year, Balakrishnan, was hacked to death in broad daylight while conversing with friends. He was targeted by a gang of men on motorbikes. Preliminary investigations indicated that a financial dispute may have been the cause of that killing.
In another similar case last year, Selvakumar, also a BJP functionary, was brutally murdered in broad daylight, sparking protests and condemnation from party leaders. Party cadres fear that the repeated occurrence of such violent crimes is eroding public confidence in safety and policing.
