Chennai Man Hacked to Death Over Rs 9 Lakh Loan; DMK Seeks Action Against Inspector
A Chennai man, Pradeep, was hacked to death over a Rs 9 lakh loan dispute; the DMK has demanded action against a police inspector accused of threatening him.
A man identified as Pradeep was hacked to death in Chennai on Wednesday night, in what investigators say stemmed from a dispute over a Rs 9 lakh loan between two families.
The loan had been taken by Pradeep's mother, according to investigators. The son of the lender is suspected of carrying out the attack, which is believed to have followed an attempt by the lender's own mother to end her life over the unpaid debt.
The killing has drawn attention to an alleged threat to Pradeep's life made by a police inspector. In an unverified and undated video, Pradeep claims that the Tiruvottiyur police inspector threatened to kill him when he was summoned to the station. He says the inspector told him there was information that both sides could "hack each other", and alleges the officer warned, "I'll break your limbs. I will shoot you dead. I will hack you to death and dissolve the ashes in Tiruchendur." Pradeep further alleges the inspector said he would not remain alive and threatened to file a false case against him.
A police officer denied the allegations. "The inspector had only summoned both sides and warned. There was no police protection sought nor life threat shared," the officer said. Police maintain the inspector had warned both sides in anticipation of trouble between the two groups.
The murder has become a political flashpoint. Senior Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin demanded action against the Tiruvottiyur inspector and others responsible. In a statement on X, he called it "deeply shocking" that another brutal murder had taken place in Chennai, and referred to Pradeep's alleged video, saying the young man had claimed the inspector threatened him after he sought protection over the loan dispute.
Udhayanidhi questioned whether police officials considered Chief Minister Vijay, who holds the Home portfolio, a "dummy Chief Minister". He accused the TVK government of diverting questions on law and order in the Assembly by referring to the Sarkaria Commission report and Enforcement Directorate cases. He demanded that cases be registered against the Tiruvottiyur inspector and everyone responsible, and that those found guilty be brought to justice.
The killing comes amid an intensified DMK attack on the ruling TVK government in the Assembly over what the opposition describes as a deterioration in law and order. The DMK has raised allegations of rising murders, crimes against women and custodial deaths, citing numbers, while criticising Chief Minister Vijay's handling of law and order issues. Minister Aadhav Arjuna claimed during the DMK regime the data on murder was maintained at the 2020 level of 1597 in 2021 and 2022 with what he called "no transparency". Chief Minister Vijay later blamed unchecked drug abuse during the DMK regime for a rise in crimes, which he said his government would ultimately fix.
The case also raises the possibility of usurious money lending, as the man who died in the unverified video claims to have paid Rs 18 lakh in total. Police, however, say it was not a case of usury.