Actor Venkatesan (left) was allegedly killed by Chinna Narasimhan (right).
- A theatre artiste named Venkatesan was brutally killed in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu.
- The attacker, Chinna Narasimhan, used a sickle, suspecting an affair with his wife.
- Narasimhan followed his wife to a pharmacy before launching the fatal attack.
A theatre artiste has been brutally hacked to death in public view in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. The man, identified as Venkatesan, was attacked with a sickle by a man identified as Chinna Narasimhan.
Police say the accused, a daily wager, suspected an affair between his wife - a factory worker - and the victim.
Investigators say Narasimhan had stealthily followed his wife to a pharmacy in the bustling town area, where she allegedly made a phone call to Venkatesan. Moments later, as the drama artiste arrived, Narasimhan launched the fatal attack, hacking him repeatedly in full public view.
Disturbing visuals show Venkatesan lying in a pool of blood, gasping for breath in the busy area. The police rushed him to hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries on the way.
The police have arrested the accused. A senior officer told NDTV, "There was no prior complaint or warning from any of the individuals involved".
The incident comes on the heels of another gruesome murder in the same district, in which a man was hacked to death outside a court in Hosur, raising concern over the spate of violent crimes in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police, Mr. Shankar Jiwal, recently told NDTV that murder cases in the state are "progressively declining".
"We do try to prevent premeditated murders. Even though the population is rising, murders have actually come down," he said.
Police records show 24 fewer murders this year so far compared to the same period last year.
