Two own up murder, judge cites turf, lets them go

According to sources, there was never an intimation or lookout notice issued to local police regarding the alleged surrender attempt.

KARUR: Two youngsters, who themselves claimed to have played a role in the brutal hacking of former Puducherry Speaker V M C Sivakumar, walked free from the court in Karur where they surrendered, after the judge raised jurisdictional constraints in admitting their petition.

Sivakumar, a former Speaker and minister of Puducherry, was brutally hacked to death by a seven-member gang at Neravy in Karaikal district on Tuesday.

V M C Sivakumar
V M C Sivakumar

Even as investigations are progressing in the case, two persons, Gunasekaran (26) and Thamizharasan (25) from Virudhunagar, arrived at the Karur District court on Friday to surrender in connection with the case. They were there to surrender before the judicial magistrate II. However, when they appeared before him, the judge noted that as per the existing laws, there was no option for the accused who are alleged to be involved in the murder that took place in the Union Territory, to surrender in a district court in Tamil Nadu.

Soon after the bewildering turn of events, even before the police personnel at the court premises understood what was happening, the duo walked off from the court. While hearing their plea, the judge had stated that as per Nagamuthu judgement, she could not hear their plea regarding surrender before the court.

According to sources, there was never an intimation or lookout notice issued to local police regarding the alleged surrender attempt. Neither was any photograph circulated of the suspects.

Sivakumar, a five-time MLA, minister and former speaker of the territorial assembly, was brutally hacked to death by the gang, when he was inspecting the ongoing construction work of a marriage hall in Neravy.

The gang members, all yet to be identified, hurled country made bombs to threaten Sivakumar’s aides including gunman, and hacked him repeatedly, killing him on the spot. The initial suspicion points to Ezhilarasi, the wife of a notorious liquor baron, Radhakrishnan alias Ramu, who was hacked to death in January 2013. Sivakumar was provided police protection since then, but the gang threatened the gunman into submission and snatched the official weapon.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com