TIRUNELVELI: The district has been grappling with tension as five murders, including two caste killings, were reported in just three days from Monday to Wednesday night.
One Sankara Subramanian (37) of a caste Hindu community from Nainarkulam near Munneerpallam was beheaded on Monday night allegedly by a gang of an SC community in retaliation to a murder of an SC man named Manthiram in 2013. The gang had reportedly placed the deceased's head on the grave of Manthiram. On Wednesday at 5am, a gang of the caste Hindu community allegedly beheaded an SC man named Mariappan (37) of Gopalasamuthiram and placed his head at the spot where Sankara Subramanian was beheaded, despite the police deployment in all the villages near Munneerpallam. Mariappan was one of the accused in a caste killing which took place in 2014.
Superintendent of Police Manivannan formed eight special teams led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Parthiban to nab the suspects. Six people including Manthiram's son Maharaja (20), a resident of Kothankulam, were nabbed in connection with Sankara Subramanian's murder. The police also arrested eight people including S Siva (23) and M Siva (24) of Melaseval in connection to Mariappan's murder.
Talking about the caste killings, Manivannan told TNIE he personally visited the villages where the caste killings took place to ensure no more violence would occur. "The police will work towards creating social harmony among people of different communities," he added.
Apart from these two murders, one Abdul Khader was hacked to death in the city police limit on Wednesday night reportedly in retaliation to the murder of a Sathankulam-based money lender. In Neduvilai village near Kalakkad, 59-year-old Krishnan allegedly hacked his father-in-law Ponnudurai to death over a family dispute. Meanwhile, one Thangapandi (28) was hacked to death allegedly by his neighbours in Brammathesam and Ambasamudram and two persons were arrested in this case