DMK district secretary killed in bomb blast

The District Secretary of the ruling DMK, Poondi Kalaiselvan, belonging Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s home town Tiruvarur, was killed in a bomb blast at his residence on Saturday morning, triggering tension in the district.

Police said Kalaiselvan, who suffered serious injuries, was rushed to a private hospital in the town. He died later. As news of the incident spread, shops and business establishments brought down their shutters fearing violence. Four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident and remanded to custody. It is believed that political enmity could have led to the attack.

According to Tiruvarur District Collector M Chandrashekar, the attackers went to Kalaiselvan’s house in the guise of visitors, pretending to invite him for a wedding. “There was an explosion and Kalaiselvan was seriously injured,” said the Collector. Two policemen posted for his security were also said to have been injured in the blast.

Tension gripped Tiruvarur as supporters of Kalaiselvan went on the rampage, setting fire to two buses at Koradacherry village near Tiruvarur. M Karunanidhi condoled the death of Kalaiselvan and said the party had lost an “active worker.”