TN: Dalit leader's murder affects bus services

Bus services to several southern districts including Dindigul, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli were affected after news about the murder of a Dalit leader in Dindigul spread across the areas, police said.

Many buses and private vehicles were damaged in stone pelting by unidentified miscreants at some places, after Pasupathi Pandian, founder of Devendra Kula Velalar

Kootamaippu (Federation), was on Tuesday hacked to death by unidentified persons in front of his residence at Nandavanapatti area in Dindigul district, police said.

Police said the situation was being closely monitored and bus services resumed in many districts, including Madurai, Theni and Tuticorin, though they were behind schedule by two hours.

Meanwhile, heavy police bandobust was arranged at Dindigul Government Hospital where the body of Pandian, 50, was kept after postmortem was performed today morning. The body was later taken to Talamuthunagar in Tuticorin district for the funeral.

Officials said some parts of Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts were tense, but added the situation was fully under control.

Special teams had been formed to nab the gang who hacked the Dalit leader, the officials said, adding bus services to sensitive areas had been cancelled. There had been power cut when Pandian was hacked to death and the gang had escaped using the darkness as cover, they said.

Meanwhile in Dindigul, educational institutions were closed in the aftermath of the murder. Shops in many areas of the district also remained closed.