Police suspect a property dispute to be the reason behind the killings (file)

A former DMK mayor and two others, including her husband, were hacked to death by unidentified persons in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli Tuesday in a daring daylight attack, police said.

Uma Maheswari (61), who was Mayor of the Tirunelveli Corporation between 1996 and 2001, her husband Muruga Sankaran (65) and a woman domestic assistant were killed by the assailants at her residence here around 3 pm, they said.

A property dispute was suspected to be a possible motive behind the triple murder, police said adding they were investigating all angles as the safe in the house was found broken.

The killings came to light after the couple's daughter staying nearby visited the home to meet her parents.

Senior police officials visited the spot.