CUDDALORE: The I Additional District Sessions Court in Cuddalore sentenced 10 persons to life imprisonment on Tuesday for the 2020 murder of VCK functionary S Subash near Cuddalore.
According to police sources, Subash (34) of Keezharungunam, who was a VCK union secretary, had a long-standing dispute with A Damodaran (55) of the same village over the 2019 local body elections. During that period, a clash between the two groups led to the murder of a man, Thangavel, who was associated with Damodaran’s group.
Subash was arrested in connection with the murder and later released on bail. He subsequently contested and won the election for the post of Keezharungunam panchayat president. On July 19, 2020, Subash was allegedly attacked by 10 persons, including Damodaran, with weapons from a nearby sugarcane field, killing him on the spot. Police said the attack was an act of revenge for Thangavel’s murder and linked to the earlier election rivalry.
Following a complaint lodged by Subash’s brother, the Nellikuppam police registered a case and arrested 12 persons — S Damodaran, R Rajadurai (25), T Kaviyarasan (21), P Subaganesh (24), T Tamilvanan (23), D Wilber (24), A Manimaran (36), advocate S Dharmaraj (47), M Dineshkumar (22), Pakkirisamy, A Manivannan (42), and S Vengadapathi (39). The case was later transferred to the I Additional District Sessions Court for trial. While Vengadapathi died due to illness during the proceedings, Pakkirisamy was acquitted.
Delivering the verdict, Judge G Saraswathi found 10 accused — Damodaran, Rajadurai, Kaviyarasan, Subaganesh, Tamilvanan, Wilber, Manimaran, Dharmaraj, Dineshkumar, and Manivannan — guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment, and slapped a fine of Rs 2,000 each.