In a shocking piece of news, a Tamil Nadu BJP functionary was kidnapped and was found dead on Thursday. As the heinous murder drawn statewide attention, the police have apprehended six people in connection to the case and several BJP leaders including Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai extended their condolences to the bereaving family. 

According to our sources, 52-year-old Kalikannan was serving as BJP's town secretary of Kalaignar Nagar in the Tirupattur district. He was a native of Chetty street and was running an iron scrap shop and a finance firm in Tirupattur. He was also a realtor and he reportedly had an enmity with a few people. Kalikannan was living separately from his family due to a personal dispute. 

Kalikannan was staying alone in a godown in Bazaar street for over a month. As he was staying alone, a group of men kidnapped him during the night hours of Tuesday after assaulting him in front of the public. He was then hacked to death at Veppalapatty village near Uthangarai. His body was recovered by the Uthangarai police during the morning hours of Thursday - November 24. 

After recovering the body, the police launched the probe into the brutal murder and based on the CCTV visuals, the police have arrested 24-year-old Hari Vignesh of Tirupattur and his five associates. They were arrested with the help of Hosur police and it has been reported that Hari Vignesh had hired the assailants from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to kill Kalikannan. 

Uthangarai Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amala Advin said that they have identified the deceased as Kalikannan with the help of a visiting card in his shirt pocket. The DSP said, "Vignesh had attacked Kalikannan in the past and a case in that connection is still pending with the Tirupattur police." It has further been reported that Kalikannan was not in good terms with his family members and was staying at a godown. 

The DSP stated, "Kalikannan was adbucted from the godown in a sports utility vehicle on Tuesday night. He was found dead with hack injuries on Thursday morning." Following the crime, the Krishnagiri Superintendent of Police formed three special teams to locate and arrest the assailants. The officials traced the mobile phone tower location of Vignesh to Hosur after which the Hosur police were alerted. 

The assailants were then nabbed and taken into custody. A police official said, "They have confessed to the crime. We have seized deadly weapons, including sickles, from the gang and handed them over to the Uthangarai police for further investigations." The police began the process of taking the accused into judicial custody. 

Expressing his shock over the death of BJP functionary Kalikannan, Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai took to Twitter and wrote, "It is deeply shocking that Tirupattur town deputy president Kalikannan was hacked to death. I am expressing my condolences to his family members. I have urged the police to arrest everyone who is responsible for Kalikannan's death. We are assuring that the Tamil Nadu BJP will be there to support Kalikannan's family." 

திரு. கலிகண்ணன் அவர்களின் படுகொலைக்குக் காரணமான அனைவரையும் உடனடியாக கைது செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று காவல்துறையிடம் வலியுறுத்தினேன்.

திரு. கலிகண்ணன் அவர்களின் குடும்பத்தாருக்கு @BJP4TamilNadu கட்சி என்றும் உறுதுணையாக இருக்கும் என்று உத்தரவாதத்தை அளிக்கிறோம். (2/2)

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) November 24, 2022