A five member gang accosted the thalayari, (headman) Ramar, and fatally attacked him when he was moving about in the town suspecting his movements.

Attacks on buses in Sivaganga this afternoon and looting and torching of about 40 houses and huts near Paramakudi late last night shattered the fragile peace in the riot-torn district which appeared to be limping back to normalcy since yesterday morning.

Barring the day-light murder, no other major incident was reported in the town, additional DGP Kumarasamy told UNI over phone here.

However, stray incidents of arson and stone throwing were reported from other parts of the district, reports said.

Seventeen houses were looted at Semanur and about 30 huts torched at Chatrakudi near Paramakudi late last night.

Meanwhile AIADMK supremo, Jayalalitha,today reiterated that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi should resign as chief minister and hand over the responsibility of protecting the people to the army if he was incapable of containing violence that erupted in Ramanathapuram.

The chief minister should have called both the warring sections for talks to find an amicable solution to the problem, she said in a statement here.

Jayalalitha said the entire Ramanathapuram district remained cut off from other parts of the state for the past eight days due to violence let loose by armed gangs going on an arson spree.

On his part, chief minister M Karunanidhi today warned that the government would not tolerate the actions of those who instigated violence for their selfish ends, `hiding in the shadow of their community and killing innocent people in clashes.'

While leaders of political parties had urged the government to take stern action to put down violence in Ramanathapuram district, which had so far claimed seven lives, it was regrettablethat AIADMK general secretary Jayalalitha had demanded the dismissal of his government and that the army be called in, he said in a statement here.