VELLORE — Police in Vellore launched an intensive manhunt after an armed assailant shot a 43-year-old man dead and injured a bystander near a rural bus stop, intensifying a statewide political storm over violent crime.
Poovarasan, 28, allegedly opened fire on Gnanavel, 43, using a country-made weapon near the Sengkundram village bus stop close to Gudiyatham before fleeing the scene. A second man standing nearby, identified as 40-year-old Raghu, sustained gunshot wounds in the gunfire. Paramedics rushed both men to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced Gnanavel dead on arrival. Raghu remains under medical treatment for his injuries.
Police teams cordoned off the area within minutes. An initial inquiry revealed deep personal hostility between the two men. "Gnanavel and Poovarasan have a previous enmity. Besides, Gnanavel had allegedly intimidated a friend of Poovarasan," a senior investigating police officer confirmed. "This triggered the crime. It was spontaneous. We are investigating."
| Case Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Deceased Victim | Gnanavel (43) |
| Injured | Raghu (40, hospitalised) |
| Primary Accused | Poovarasan (28, absconding) |
| Crime Scene | Sengkundram bus stop, Gudiyatham, Vellore |
| Suspected Weapon | Country-made illicit firearm |
| Stated Motive | Prior enmity and personal intimidation |
Yet the gunfire in Vellore reverberated far beyond the village boundary. The killing landed in the middle of a ferocious political confrontation across Tamil Nadu, triggered by a string of homicides that left 10 to 11 people dead in separate attacks on Diwali on November 8. Those victims included a Special Sub-Inspector in Theni, a young woman in Tiruvallur, two teenagers in Samayapuram, and an IT professional in Tiruchirappalli.
Opposition benches struck hard. DMK MP Kanimozhi condemned the administration, calling the count of 11 homicides on a single festive day shocking. She targeted Chief Minister Vijay directly, warning that citizens cannot be expected to endure deteriorating public safety. Former deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami mounted coordinated offensives, demanding accountability from the police machinery.
But the ruling TVK pushed back forcefully against the opposition barrage. State Minister Raj Mohan dismissed claims that festival violence was unprecedented under the current government, citing state crime records that logged six murders during the previous year's Diwali and 11 the year before that under the previous regime. Mohan accused opposition parties of orchestrating a campaign to dent the government's standing ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Special police teams continue search operations across Vellore and bordering districts to track down Poovarasan, while forensics officials examine ballistic evidence recovered from the Sengkundram bus stop.