MAYILADUTHURAI: After a man was arrested for the alleged murder of his wife’s relative at a village near Mayiladuthurai on Wednesday, villagers took out a protest against illegal liquor sales in the locality, which they blamed for the incident.
According to sources, Prabakar and Malathi were married for the past five years and have two children. But owing to Prabakar’s continued drinking and unemployment, Malathi moved to her mother’s house. On Tuesday night, Prabakar arrived at Malathi’s house in an inebriated state and demanded that she return with him. After Malathi refused, her uncle Backiyam defended her decision, upon which Prabakar allegedly threatened Backiyam.
On Wednesday morning, Backiyam was found dead at his house. He was killed with a grinding stone, sources added. After sending his body to the hospital, police, suspecting Prabakar, arrested him. A case has been registered and a probe is on.
Meanwhile, blaming the illegal sale of liquor in the village, a dozen women went to a local bootlegger’s place, seized several bags of illegal liquor and dumped them at a ground near Backiyam’s house. The police intervened and pacified the protesters, who alleged that the police failed to take sufficient action on the smuggling of liquor from Karaikal to the village despite repeated complaints. The contraband was later seized and destroyed.