K P Suresh, a prominent Hindu Front leader was allegedly hacked to death by Islamists late on Wednesday night at Ambattur, a Chennai suburb. The incident took place right in front of the Joint Police Commissioner’s office.
48-year-old Suresh is the fourth leader of the Hindu Front, a socio-cultural umbrella organisation, who was murdered in less than a year. Amongst other leaders who have been murdered since August 2013 include Arvind Reddy, a medical doctor from Vellore, Ramesh, a chartered accountant from Salem who was also the BJP State secretary and Vellaiyappan, Vellore district secretary of the Hindu Front.
According to eye-witnesses Suresh was hacked to death by a motorcycle-borne gang consisting of three persons.
“He was coming out of the xerox shop owned by him when the gang appeared all of a sudden and attacked him with swords and rod,” said Rajesh, a Hindu Front activist. Tamil Nadu Police did not make any formal announcement about the investigation even till Thursday evening.
Since Suresh had no business rivalries, his friends and associates ruled out the possibility of such a factor. Gautaman, director, Vedic Sciences Research Centre, and a long time friend of Suresh told that the deceased was actively campaigning against ‘love Jehad’ and religious conversion in the area. “This has annoyed some of the Islamist organisations and they have been waiting to strike,” said Gautaman.
Interestingly, all the others who were murdered in the span of last one year too were active in campaigning against religious conversions. Though the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police had labelled the three murders as fall out of business rivalry, a special investigation division constituted by the Government had arrested Fakhrudeen, Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik, all activists of the banned Al Ummah organisation.
Rama Gopalan, the octogenarian leader of the Hindu Front said the murder of Suresh was yet another proof that “Tamil Nadu has become a safe haven for Islamic terrorists”.
“They are in a vantage position as they can strike anywhere and anybody without fear. I request Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to directly oversee the case pertaining to this murder and ensure the perpetrators are brought to book,” said Rama Gopalan.