MAYILADUTHURAI: As part of the investigation into the double murder case reported in Mayiladuthurai on February 14, police on Sunday night arrested the parents of two accused on suspicion of instigating the killings.
S Munusamy (47) and M Manjula (48), the parents of suspects M Thangadurai (28) and M Mooventhan (24), were booked under Section 61(2) of BNS and named as fourth and fifth accused in the case.
An engineering student named B Sakthi (20) from Srinivasapuram and his relative K Harish (25) from Muttam were stabbed to death at Muttam village in Mayiladuthurai on February 14 when they attempted to intervene in an altercation to save their friend R Dinesh (28). Three locals — Thangadurai, Mooventhan and R Rajkumar (24) —were arrested for the double murder the following day. Thangadurai and Mooventhan are brothers, while Rajkumar is their brother-in-law.
All four men were sent to Central Prison in Cuddalore, while Manjula was remanded in Women’s Prison in Tiruchy.
“The couple instigated their sons to assault Dinesh over a dispute. Sakthi and Harish were fatally injured in the assault,” Mayiladuthurai SP G Stalin told TNIE.
Police claim that a dispute between Mooventhan’s family and Dinesh had led to the assault and victims were killed unintentionally.
According to police, Mooventhan and his relatives attempted to assault Dinesh with knives due to dispute between them. The kin of the victims alleged that the youth were murdered for exposing illegal liquor sale in Muttam. Thangadurai and Rajkumar were previously accused in cases under the Prohibition Act.
Initially denying the allegations, the Mayiladuthurai police said they are investigating into them. An investigation is under way against the suspects at Perambur police station.
Meanwhile, the station house officer (SHO) of Perambur Inspector CT Nagavalli Ganesh was transferred to the police waiting list after protests. Thanjavur DIG Ziaul Haque issued the order. N Malaichamy from Swamimalai police station has been posted as the new SHO A Karunagaran, the inspector and SHO of Sembanarkoil police station, is the current investigating officer while the case is proceeding at Perambur.