AIADMK leaders express grief over death of former Chennai mayor’s son

Chennai, Feb 12 (PTI) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Monday condoled the death of Vetri Duraisamy, son of former Chennai mayor Saidai Duraisamy, whose body has been fished out of the Satluj river in Himachal Pradesh.

Expressing grief, Palaniswami said Duraisamy has lost his only son, Vetri, which is an irreparable loss. "I share the grief of Saidai Duraisamy. I convey my deep condolences and sympathies to him and his family." Vetri Duraisamy was 45.

Palaniswami, the leader of the opposition said in a statement that he prayed to the Almighty to give Duraisamy and his family the strength to bear the great sorrow.

Expressing similar sentiments, Panneerselvam said he was deeply grieved to learn the death of Vetri Duraisamy in Himachal Pradesh. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved.

Duraisamy, a former AIADMK district secretary (South Chennai) was a former MLA (Saidapet). He had served as Chennai mayor as well.

Palaniswami said Duraisamy is a philanthropist who has been actively serving the society in several ways. The AIADMK chief also referred to the former mayor's educational services to the student community through his trust.

Duraisamy is a loyalist of the AIADMK founder leader M G Ramachandran and late party supremo J Jayalalithaa and the party, Palaniswami added.

On February 4, Vetri Duraisamy went missing after the vehicle in which he was travelling met with an accident and plunged into the Satluj river in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district. After eight days of intense search, Vetri's body was taken out of the river by divers on February 12.

A joint search operation had been conducted since February 4 by the Kinnaur police, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF and Home Guards and divers of Mahun Nag Association on the banks of the Sutlej. Drone was also used to trace the missing person. PTI