TN CPI MLA among 3 killed in road mishap

A 43-year old Communist Party of India MLA in Tamil Nadu and two others were killed in a road accident in Pudukkottai district on Sunday, police said.

S P Muthukumaran, representing Pudukkottai constituency, died on the spot when the jeep in which he was travelling turned turtled after a tyre burst near Sokkanathanpatti, around 35 km from Tiruchirappali.

Driver of the jeep and another occupant of the vehicle were also killed in the mishap that occurred around 10 am, they said.

Muthukumaran was elected to the assembly in the elections held in March, 2011. He is survived by his wife and two children.

He is the second member of the present assembly to be killed in a road accident. Earlier, Minister Mariyam Pitchai died in a road mishap in May last year when he was on way to attend the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected MLAs in Chennai.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa expressed deep anguish at the death of Muthukumaran.

Conveying her condolences to the bereaved family and partymen, she said in a statement that Muthukumaran had functioned 'efficiently' during his brief stint as an MLA in the assembly and won the appreciation of all.