The killing of a police officer at a checkpoint in Kanyakumari district by two men in an SUV late on Wednesday night is being attributed to "Muslim terrorists" by a senior BJP leader.
H. Raja, national secretary of the BJP, tweeted on Thursday morning that the police officer was shot dead by Muslim terrorists at Kanyakumari's Kaliyakkavilai locality.
Kaliyakkavilai is close to the border with Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala.
Around 10am on Wednesday night, special sub-inspector Wilson and other policemen attempted to flag down an SUV coming from the direction of the Kerala border. The Times of India reported that the Mahindra Scorpio vehicle had Tamil Nadu registration plates. One of the occupants of the vehicle got down and fired three bullets at Wilson. The vehicle then sped away in the direction of the Kerala border. Wilson died of his injuries in a hospital.
The Tamil Nadu Police released CCTV footage of two men suspected to be involved in the killing of the police officer in Kanyakumari. The police identified the two suspects as Thoufiq and Sameeer. The CCTV footage shows them running with weapons.
Three special teams have been formed to apprehend the suspects.
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A media outlet in Kerala described Thoufiq and Sameer as being natives of Kanyakumari. Sameer is reportedly accused in the murder of a leader of a Hindu group, while Thoufiq is accused of murdering a BJP leader in Kanyakumari.
The Tamil Nadu Police is coordinating with its counterparts in Kerala. News 18 reported police are searching for the perpetrators in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi.
Wilson (58) was reported to be nearing his retirement from service.
(With inputs from Lakshmi Subramanian)