TIRUNELVELI: The Tirunelveli District Additional Sessions Court on Monday sentenced 10 persons to four life terms each for their involvement in the murder of four persons in 2009, following a dispute over cattle grazing at Athalanallur village near Veeravanallur.
Tirunelveli III Additional Sessions Court Judge T Panneerselvam convicted Sorna Pandi (60), Muthupandi (63), Karutha Pandiyan (47), Arumuga Nainar (41), Subramanian (36), Murugan (41), Maharaja (42), Karuthapandi (50), Aadhimoolakrishnan (39), and Mayandi (84) - for murdering Chinnathurai alias Navaneethakrishnan (38), a farmer from Athanalllur, his sister Pandiyammal (46), her son Manikandan (25), and relative Muthupandi (30).
They were awarded four life terms each and a fine of Rs 3,500. The court ordered that the sentences be served concurrently. Public prosecutor Surasankaravel appeared for the prosecution.
In another case of murder related to these murders, the judge sentenced Arjunan (50), a relative of the deceased Chinnathurai, to life imprisonment for murdering S Gunasekaran. It is learnt that Chinnathurai and one Sivan Pandi from Uppu Vaniyamuthoor had longstanding enmity over cattle grazing and missing cattle.
On March 10, 2009, when Sivan Pandi's son Gunasekaran went to discuss the disappearance of their cattle, Chinnathurai's relatives Arjunan and Manikandan attacked him with sickles, killing him. Following this, Gunasekaran's family, in an act of retaliation, attacked Chinnathurai and his relatives while they were working in their fields. Chinnathurai, his sister Pandiyammal, Manikandan, and relative Muthupandi were hacked to death.
In the case of murder of four murders, 13 accused were arrested, of which three died during the trial.