In a shocking incident, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary was brutally murdered by an armed gang in Madurai in the early hours of Thursday. The victim, identified as Sakthivel (35), served as the district secretary of the BJP’s OBC wing in Madurai. The fatal attack occurred near Sangunagar in Vandiyur around 6 am while Sakthivel was traveling on his bike from his residence at Thevar Kurinji Nagar near Annanagar, Madurai. According to sources, the assailants, who were on a motorcycle, allegedly followed Sakthivel’s movements and eventually chased him down before hacking him to death. Following the heinous act, the assailants fled the scene, leaving the victim lying in a pool of blood. Upon receiving the report, the Anna Nagar police swiftly arrived at the scene, conducting an inspection and initiating inquiries into the incident. Initial investigations suggest that the motive behind the murder may stem from enmity over financial transactions. J. Loganathan, Commissioner of Police, Madurai City, revealed that the unfortunate incident may have been triggered by a dispute over money transactions. Two workers, purportedly borrowing a sum of Rs 70,000 from Sakthivel, who operated a mill, had reportedly repaid Rs 50,000 of the borrowed amount. However, tensions arose when the workers failed to repay the remaining Rs 20,000. It is alleged that Sakthivel, in a fit of anger, made derogatory remarks about the families of the workers, provoking them to retaliate violently. The tragic murder of Sakthivel has sent shockwaves throughout the region.