Army jawan dies after being allegedly beaten up by DMK leader, his relatives in Tamil Nadu

An Army jawan succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday after he was was allegedly beaten up by a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and his relatives over a dispute of washing clothes near a public water tap in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district, The Indian Express reported, citing the police.

The incident took place on February 8 when DMK councillor R Chinnaswamy allegedly asked Lance Naik M Prabhu and his brother Prabhakaran to move away from the water tap.

After a heated argument, Prabhu and Chinnaswamy left the area following the intervention of residents, the police said. However, in the evening, the DMK leader when to Prabhu’s home with four of his sons as well as relatives and allegedly attacked the soldier and his brother, who is also in the Army.

The police had earlier filed an attempt to murder case but later changed it to murder, reported PTI.

After Prabhakaran filed a complaint with the police, six persons, including Chinnaswamy’s son Gurusuriyamoorthy, who is an armed reserve police constable, were arrested on February 9. Three more persons, including Chinnaswamy, were arrested on Wednesday.

“Chinnnasamy and the brothers [Prabhu and Prabhakaran] are relatives too,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Manoharan told NDTV.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has criticised the ruling DMK on the incident.

In a series of tweets, BJP state chief K Annamalai claimed that soldiers are not safe in their hometown due to “DMK anarchy”, according to PTI.

“The DMK and its allied parties have turned to the extent of threatening their families, attacking and even killing soldiers who are protecting the country at the border, risking their lives,” he said. “Tamil Nadu’s chief minister is keeping the police in hands.”

Annamalai has announced that BJP’s ex-servicemen wing will hold a protest against the killing on Thursday.