senior functionary of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) was murdered in broad daylight here on Tuesday.

PMK state deputy secretary M Ilanchezhian (42) was hacked to death by a five-member gang that fled the spot even as a shocked public stood mute witness. Moments after the murder, one person, identified as Kasiviswanathan from Avaniyapuram, surrendered before the SS Colony police and reportedly confessed to have committed the murder on account of personal enmity. The police have launched a hunt for the remaining four.

Police said Ilanchezhian, a resident of Velmurugan Nagar in SS Colony, had dropped his school-going daughters near the main road and was returning home around 7.30am when a sports utility vehicle rammed his two-wheeler from behind near Vanamalai Nagar."Ilanchezhian was thrown off the vehicle and was struggling to get up when the gang got down from the SUV and started assaulting him. Within a minute, the gang fled the spot leaving Ilanchezhian in a pool of blood," police said.

Police said Ilanchezhian's killing was a fallout of a gang war with Kasiviswanathan, a functionary of the Puthiya Tamizhagam, leading to series of murders since 2008.

In 2008, Ilanchezhian's cousin Anbu had allegedly harassed Kasiviswanathan's sister Jaya (name changed). An angry Kasiviswanathan murdered Anbu on May, 2008. In retaliation, Ilanchezhian and his brother Irulappan assaulted Kasiviswanathan and his friends. Irulappan was murdered, allegedly by Kasiviswanathan and his associates, in September 2008. On the same day, Ilanchezhian and his gang went to Kasiviswanathan's associate Sitrarasu's house and attempted to kill him. When Sitrarasu's 15-year-old son Vijayadurai came to the rescue of his father, he suffered fatal injuries. Leaving Vijayadurai dead and Sitrarasu injured, the gang fled the spot. A slew of cases were registered against all the accused and they were arrested."But they managed to come out on bail," said police.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss rushed to Madurai and met Ilanchezhian's family."The police should immediately arrest the culprits. The family members of Ilanchezhian should also be given adequate security," he told reporters. City police commissioner P Kannapan said they had formed a special team to nab the culprits.

Ilanchezhian was a council member of the Avaniyapuram municipality. He also unsuccessfully contested in Sholavandan constituency during the recent assembly elections.