Chennai:
The burnt body of a Tamil Nadu Congress leader. who had been missing for two days has been found on farmland he owned, prompting police to form three special teams to investigate the death.
The leader, whose body was found in Tirunelveli on Saturday, is KPK Jeyakumar. He was the president of the Tirunelveli East district unit of the Congress.
Police said Jeyakumar went missing on Thursday and his son had filed a complaint the next day. A death certificate has also been found and the police are investigating whether it was written by him. It is not yet clear whether Jeyakumar was murdered or died by suicide.
If Jeyakumar is confirmed to have written the latest statement, it could open a can of worms as the document lists a few high-profile names and accuses them of intimidating him and cheating him of money.
Superintendent of Police N Silambarasan said three special teams have been formed to investigate the case from all angles.
The AIADMK has attacked the ruling DMK government in the state over the mysterious death. AIADMK chief and former chief minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami stated that the incident indicates a serious deterioration in law and order in the state and demanded immediate arrest of those responsible.
Tamil Nadu Congress chief K. Selvaperunthagai, who is also the Sriperumbudur MLA, has condoled Jeyakumar's death.