TVK Functionary S Kannan Hacked to Death in Chennai, Police Arrest 5 (Disturbing Video)
Chennai TVK functionary S Kannan, 45, was chased and hacked to death by a motorcycle-borne gang in Vannandurai on September 5. Police arrested five men and suspect the attack may be linked to a 2009 murder case in which Kannan was an accused. Two police officers were moved to Vacancy Reserve as the investigation continued.
A 45-year-old Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) functionary, S Kannan, was chased and hacked to death by a motorcycle-borne gang in Chennai's Vannandurai area on Saturday night, September 5, police said. Five men have been arrested in connection with the murder, with investigators suspecting that the attack may have been carried out in retaliation for a 2009 murder case.
Kannan, who was involved in the car rental and travel business, was a B-category history-sheeter with at least three criminal cases against him, according to police. He was reportedly with friends around 9.30 pm when a group arrived on three motorcycles carrying knives and sickles, NDTV reported. Kannan allegedly tried to flee but was chased and attacked. Tamil Nadu: Man Dies After Neck Attack During Drunken Brawl at Funeral in Tiruvallur.
Kannan Hacked to Death in Chennai
TVK FUNCTIONARY MURDERED DUE TO PREVIOUS ENMITY SINCE 2009
DCP, ADYAR KARTHIKEYAN SHUNTED TO VACANCY RESERVE
Five men were arrested on Sunday for the murder of 45-year-old history-sheeter Kannan at Vannanthurai in Besant Nagar.
The TVK functionary Kannan, who ran a car… pic.twitter.com/3ONwH0c529
— A Selvaraj (@Crime_Selvaraj) September 6, 2026
Kannan Attacked By Motorcycle-Borne Gang in Chennai
According to Shastri Nagar police, Kannan was chatting with his friends at Vannandurai when the attackers arrived. One of the assailants allegedly attacked him with a knife, and Kannan died at the spot. Police said his friends attempted to intervene but were threatened by the attackers, who then fled.
Police sent Kannan's body to Government Royapettah Hospital for post-mortem examination. CCTV footage from the locality, which captured parts of the attack, was examined as part of the investigation. Tamil Nadu: Man Who S*xually Assaulted and Killed Class 12 Student Awarded Double Death Sentence.
Shastri Nagar Police formed a special team and arrested five accused identified as Bharani, Rakesh, Naresh, Manikandan and Hariharan. All five accused are reportedly around 20 years old and are natives of Chennai.
Police said preliminary investigation points to the 2009 murder of Siva alias Sivakumar in Adyar as a possible motive. Kannan was reportedly an accused in that case. Bharani, who was among those arrested, is Siva's nephew, according to police.
2009 Murder May Be Motive
Police suspect the latest killing was carried out as "revenge" for the earlier murder. According to investigators, Bharani's paternal uncle Siva was murdered in 2009. Bharani's father, Velu, was also murdered in 2014.
Police had attributed the 2009 killing to a personal dispute involving a woman. While the revenge angle remains the primary line of investigation, police said other possible motives are also being examined.
Kannan Had Joined TVK After Leaving AIADMK
Kannan had previously served as AIADMK Ward 174 (South) secretary before quitting the party and joining TVK following the Assembly election, police said. He also ran a travel business that supplied cabs to IT companies. Police had been monitoring Kannan because of his criminal record and history-sheeter status.
Following the murder, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police ordered action against police officials over the alleged failure to prevent the attack. Adyar Deputy Commissioner of Police AC Karthikeyan and Shastri Nagar Inspector Rohini were moved to the Vacancy Reserve on Sunday evening, officials said.
Kannan's relatives also staged a protest following the murder, demanding action against those responsible. They dispersed after senior police officers assured them that the assailants would be apprehended.
Opposition Raises Law And Order Concerns
The murder triggered criticism from opposition leaders over the law-and-order situation in Tamil Nadu. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin condemned the killing and questioned the government's claims regarding improved policing. Referring to Kannan's political affiliation and criminal background, he urged the government to focus on public safety rather than blaming the DMK.
BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran also condemned the murder and said the incident raised concerns over law and order. He questioned how such an attack could take place in the state capital and urged the Chief Minister to take concrete steps to improve the situation.
The arrests came a day before Chief Minister M K Stalin's scheduled response to the debate on the demands for grants for the police department in the Assembly.
Police are continuing to investigate the alleged revenge motive and other possible reasons behind the killing. Investigators are also examining CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the sequence of events and the roles of those arrested.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2026 03:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
