Two employees killed, Tamil daily office ransacked

Madurai, May 9 (UNI) Two employees of a popular Tamil daily were killed and two others fell unconscious when an irate mob armed with crude weapons ransacked their office and set fire to it this morning.

According to eyewitnesses, more than 100 people wielding wooden logs and deadly weapons like sickles and crowbars entered the office premises and started ransacking the complex.

The mob said to be comprising of DMK functionaries and supporters of M K Azhagiri, went on a rampage and burnt copies of the daily at several places in the city.

Seven state-owned buses were also damaged by the irate supporters, bringing vehicular traffic to a grinding halt on the arterial Azhagarkoil road and important junctions.

Fire tenders were engaged in putting out the blaze in the office of the daily situated on the outskirts of the Madurai-Chennai National Highway. Top officials rushed to the spot.

City Mayor Thenmozhi Gopinathan, led a demonstration near the busy Periyar bus stand area, where one city bus was damaged.

Burning of the copies of the daily was reported from many wards of the city corporation.

The daily had published a report based on a survey on the lines of succession in the ruling DMK. According to the survey, the Chief Minister's another son and Tamil Nadu Minister M K Stalin was way ahead of all others, while Mr Azhagiri was at the bottom of the list.

UNI