Loyalists of MK's son on rampage: Daily office burnt; two killed

Madurai, May 9 (UNI) Two employees of a popular Tamil newspaper were killed and four swooned when a mob comprising the loyalists of Mr M K Azhagiri, Madurai-based son of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, ransacked and set afire the daily office today, protesting the publication of a report based on a survey on the line of succession in the DMK.

According to the survey, the Chief Minister's second son and state Minister M K Stalin was way ahead of all others in popularity, while Mr Azhagiri, the elder son was at the bottom of the list.

The victims were identified as Gopinath (24) and Vinodh Kumar (25), both service engineers. The four who fell unconscious, including Gopi, a cameraman of Sun TV, were admitted to a nearby corporate hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, more than 100 people, led by DMK Volunteers Wing district Convener 'Attack' Pandi and armed with crude weapons like sickles and wooden logs, arrived on the scene and started ransacking the complex. They hurled petrol bombs, besides setting on fire the machinery with petrol.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was put out within hours. However, the flames destroyed the whole range of machinery at the complex. Three vehicles of the employees, parked inside the complex, were also burnt in the incident.

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