Dalit panchayat president murdered in TN

Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, Nov 22 (UNI) A Dalit Panchayat President elected in the recent civic poll was brutally murdered today, allegedly by his predecessor and her husband, who is incidentally the Vice-President, at Nakkalamuthampatti village in this district.

Police here said Sakkan (40) alias Sakkaiah was proceeding to a tea shop in the village under Thiruvengadam police limits early this morning when the husband-wife duo, Thirupathi Raja and Regina Mary, allegedly attacked him with a crude weapon. He died on the spot.

They fled the scene immediately.

Both husband and wife were later arrested.

Regina Mary was the immediate past president of the village panchayat, reserved for Dalits under the rotation system this time.

This time her husband was elected vice-president.

With the new president seeking accounts and other relevant records from his predecessor, following reports of misappropriation of funds, the accused had enmity against him, police said and claimed that this was the motive behind the gruesome killing.

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