Irked by judgment, murder accused’s kin destroy banana farm of SC family in Thoothukudi

The culprits also poured fuel and tried to set fire to the trees, but they did not catch fire, sources said.

Following the verdict, relatives and associates of the convicts felled more than 500 banana trees at Navaladiyur in Srivaikundam taluk  PHOTO | V KARTHIK ALAGU

THOOTHUKUDI: A day after a PCR court sentenced three accused in a murder case to triple life, double life, rigorous imprisonment respectively, their family members on Thursday allegedly destroyed over 500 banana trees cultivated by the victim’s family at Navaladiyur village near Vellur.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Court awarded triple life imprisonment to K Esakkimuthu (36), C Thalavai (45), M Sivaramalingam (34), double life imprisonment to V Kasi (42) and rigorous imprisonment to E Kannan (45) for murdering K Arumugaraja on April 2, 2015,

Sources said unidentified men entered the banana plantation belonging to Ilayaraja, the brother of the victim, in the wee hours on Thursday and felled nearly 500 trees.

The culprits also poured fuel and tried to set fire to the trees, but they did not catch fire, sources said.

Subsequently, Ilayaraja lodged a complaint with Srivaikuntam police and sought protection for the family. Heeding to his request, police personnel have been deployed in front of his house.