AIADMK ‘s Chennai city corporation councillor Mullai Gnanasekar was hacked to death by a three-gang member on Saturday evening.

According to the police, the incident occurred when 55-year-old Gnanasekar was sitting in a petty shop owned by one Tundaram around 5.45 PM in Manali area of the city.

Two men, wearing helmets and another man without a helmet hacked Gnanasekar with sharp weapons and left him to die in a pool of blood. Tunduram fled to the strongroom after the attackers threatened him if he raised an alarm, reported The Times of India.

Shopkeepers downed shutters fearing further violence, The Hindu reported. Gnanasekar was declared dead after locals took him to nearby  Stanley Medical College Hospital.

This is the sixth murder in full public view in Chennai in the last two months. 

“On Friday, there was a minor dispute between AIADMK and DMK cadres over inaugurating Amma Thittam. However, the murder does not appear to be due to this incident. We suspect that there is some business rivalry behind the murder,” a police source told The Hindu.

Police are investigating the murder based on the CCTV footage of the shop. According to police, the motive of the crime is suspected to be of business rivalry rather than a political vengeance.

Gnanasekar who was previously with the TMC and the DMK is survived by his second wife and five children including three from his first wife, the TOI report added.