A former panchayat president was hacked to death due to previous enmity near Sikkal here on Friday. A young man belonging to the same village was arrested in connection with this.
Police said, Arthur, 60, was a resident of Siraikulam village near Sikal in Ramanathapuram district. He was a former panchayat president of Siraikulam panchayat.
He and his friend Sendoorkanthan, 66, from Sikal village had gone to the TASMAC shop on the Sikal East Coast Road on Friday night and were returning. At that time, a person intercepted Arthur and hacked him with a sickle on multiple parts of his body.
Arthur died on the spot. Sendoorkanthan, who tried to stop the attack, also sustained cut injuries on his back and mouth.
Following this, Sendoorkanthan was rescued and admitted to the Ramanathapuram Government Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Urging the arrest of those who murdered Arthur, his relatives staged a roadblock agitation on the East Coast Road that night. Following talks held by the police, the protesters dispersed. District Superintendent of Police G. Chandeesh inspected the spot and conducted an inquiry. Following that, he formed five special teams to arrest the murderers.
The Sikkal police registered a case regarding this and conducted an inquiry. Meanwhile, in the early hours of Saturday, the special team police arrested Y. Sakheyu, 40, from Siraikulam village, who is suspected to have murdered Arthur.
During the inquiry conducted with him, it was revealed that there was a land dispute between Sakheyu’s father and the deceased Arthur, and the murder was committed due to previous enmity between the two groups.
Published – September 26, 2026 08:52 pm IST
