TIRUNELVELI: A 25-year-old Dalit man from Puliyankulam village in Thoothukudi, Muthu Perumal, was hacked to death allegedly by three dominant caste individuals in Tirunelveli on Sunday morning. Two men have been detained in connection to the murder while a third man is on the run.
Perumal’s relatives blocked the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur road, condemning the murder and demanding severe action against the culprits. Despite efforts of Thoothukudi police to pacify the family, the road block continued for most of Sunday. Hundreds of police personnel have been deployed in Puliyankulam and surrounding villages to prevent any further violence in the area.
“On Sunday morning, Perumal was on his way to Tirunelveli on his two-wheeler, when he was waylaid by a three-member gang on a bike near Reddiarpatti. The gang hacked Perumal to death and fled the scene. Upon information, Perumalpuram police recovered Perumal’s body, sent it for an autopsy,” police sources said.
A case was filed and an alert was put out. “Munneerpallam police subsequently detained two of the accused at a checkpoint, while the other escaped. The suspects hail from Therku Karaseri, a village near Puliyankulam,” police added.