THOOTHUKUDI: The feud between the Pannaiyars and Pasupathi Pandian and his army of supporters is more than two decades old.
It dates back to 1993 when Asupathi Pannaiyar, father of Subash Pannaiyar, of Moolakkarai near Srivaikuntam was murdered, in which Dalit leader Pasupathi Pandian was the main accused. He was eliminated to avenge the alleged harassment the Dalit workers in his farmlands suffered at his hands.
When his father was done to death, Subash was studying first year law at Salem Law College. Soon after, he discontinued his studies and joined his cousin brother Venkatesh Pannaiyar to ‘play the killer revenge game’.
The two brothers together made several futile attempts to eliminate Pasupathi but could only murder his associates. After Venkatesh Pannaiyar was shot dead by the police in an encounter in Chennai in 2003, the Pannaiyar junior took the centre stage in the All India Nadar Padhukapu Peravai, an outfit floated by the former. Later, he and his gang allegedly murdered Pandian’s wife Jacintha in 2006 and Pandian himself in 2012.
As regards Pasupathi Pandian, who hailed from Alangarathattu near Thoothukudi, turned an accused at a tender age. He was involved in a murder case when he was studying in Plus I and dropped out of school. His notoriety became noticeable in 1990s after his name was found in the police records for a series of murder and attempt to murder cases. According to police, he was a key accused in eight murder cases.
Both Subash and Pasupathi have their own political allegiance. Though Subash confined himself to the Nadar outfit his brother launched, slain Venkatesh Pannaiyar’s wife Radhika Selvi is an active member of DMK. On the other hand, Pasupathi Pandian joined PMK for a political identity. In the Vanniyar-dominated PMK, he rose to become the State secretary of the party’s youth wing, but later founded a Dalit outfit – Federation of Devendrakula Vellalars, of his own. He is known to have baptised Dr K Krishnasamy, founder of Puthiya Tamilagam, in politics.