More than 15 years after the Melavalavu massacre took place in which dalit panchayat president Murugesan and five others were killed by caste Hindus, Murugesan’s son on Sunday allegedly stabbed the caste Hindu president of the panchayat in a purported revenge attack.
On Sunday evening, when Vijayaraghavan, the caste Hindu president of the Melavalavu village panchayat, was travelling on his motorcycle, a youth stopped him asking for a lift. Later, the youth stabbed him near Rasilampatti and fled the scene.
Vijayaraghavan was admitted to a private hospital and was stated to be in a serious condition.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the assailant was M Vimalraj, son of the slain Murugesan. The accused was 19 years old when his father was murdered. Police sources suspected that Vijayaraghavan had a role to play in the Melavalavu massacre.
In June 1997, Murugesan, vice president Mookan and four dalits were fatally attacked with sickles, when they were travelling by a bus, by a group that was incensed over the election of a dalit for the first time in Melavalavu village in Melur Taluk. The crime had sent shocking waves across Tamil Nadu and had become a political issue.
In October 2009, the Supreme Court sentenced 17 accused to undergo life imprisonment in the case.
Meanwhile, soon after the attack on Vijayaraghavan, the caste Hindus in the village staged a demonstration condemning the incident. The police have intensified their security in the village to prevent any untoward incident.