ECR blocked after fisherman killed

CHENNAI: Traffic came to a standstill on arterial East Coast Road, as hundreds of fishermen staged a blockade in protest against the murder of their community leader by a four-member gang at Mamallapuram on Thursday.Around 6 am, Mamallapuram Fishermen Panchayat president Pushpalingam (45) was going for a walk along with his friends Saravanan (32), Dayanidhi (38) and Nataraj (35) on Five Rathas Road, when a car stopped near them at the bus stand. Four men, armed with deadly weapons, emerged from the vehicle and attacked him, inflicting grievous injuries. His friends and a passerby, Indirani, who came to his aid, were also attacked by the gang, which later escaped in the car.Pushpalingam was rushed to a private hospital in Kelambakam, where he was declared brought dead. The injured persons were also admitted.As the news of Pushpalingam’s death spread, hundreds of fishermen blocked traffic on the East Coast Road. Shop owners downed shutters in protest against the killing. Police are probing whether previous enmity was the reason for the murder.