Longstanding feud led to TN woman’s murder, not politics
CUDDALORE: Days after contradictory claims were made regarding the death of 43-year-old J Gomathi of Pakkirimaniyam village in Cuddalore district on the polling day on Friday, TNIE, after exhaustive interviews with a number of people including the woman’s brother-in-law K Jaishankar and a few other relatives, found that the murder was because of longstanding personal enmity between two groups and was not politically motivated.
Over the last two days, the Tamil Nadu police had filed cases against at least four people, including state BJP chief K Annamalai, for sharing social media posts that claimed that the woman was murdered for voting for the saffron party in the Lok Sabha poll. The Cuddalore district police, in a statement on Tuesday, had rejected the allegation and said the murder was due to existing enmity between two groups.
When TNIE visited Pakkirimaniyam on Wednesday, tension has not eased in the village located close to Srimushnam town in Cuddalore district. Police have been deployed in considerable numbers in the village of 150 households that comes under Ramapuram panchayat. Most of the families in the village, including the victim and the accused, belong to the Vanniyar community. TNIE had to overcome various police restrictions to meet the families.
Enmity regarding land reason for murder: Cops
Jaishankar, a PMK functionary who is the brother-in-law of Gomathi and vice-president of Ramapuram panchayat, said the key issue was a dispute over 33 cents of poramboke land, a part of which was allegedly registered in the name of J Kalaimani, the main accused in Gomathi’s murder, through illegal means. Additionally, the election of Jaishankar’s wife as a ward member and later as vice-president enraged B Pandian, another accused in the murder case and an acquaintance of Kalaimani, as neither he nor his family members could get the post.
Speaking to TNIE, Jaishankar said he had tried to reclaim the encroached land for establishing a government veterinary clinic. This led to a confrontation between him and Kalaimani in 2021 and a case was registered against Kalaimani at that time.
“These individuals were waiting for an opportunity to confront me,” Jaishankar told TNIE. He recounted how he and his daughter were taunted by Kalaimani en route to the polling booth. “They were generally teasing us. It was not about election or voting,” he said. Though Jaishankar left the spot, the quarrel continued between his brother Jaikumar, the husband of Gomathi, and the couple’s two sons Jaiprakash and Sathish Kumar, and the attackers near a banyan tree. The three men were later attacked with wooden objects by Kalaimani and his associates.
Gomathi, who had no knowledge of the quarrel and was returning from agricultural work, tried to intervene to protect her sons, and was attacked by the gang. She sustained injuries and was pronounced dead later at the PHC in Andimadam in Ariyalur district. Jaikumar sustained fractures in his hand and leg while his two sons sustained injuries in their heads and are under treatment at a hospital in Vriddachalam.
Jaikumar, declined to comment citing the ongoing controversy and his health. “I have spoken about it to several people and facing troubles because of it. I am also not feeling well due to injuries,” he told TNIE.
After police booked a case against BJP chief Annamalai for spreading rumours about the murder, he released another video in which a person, later identified as BJP president of Cuddalore west district K Maruthai, was seen purportedly asking some questions to Jaikumar. Repeated attempts by TNIE to reach Maruthai for his comments went in vain.
Another close relative of Gomathi said she and Jaikumar were added as members of BJP by another person in the village by giving missed calls to a party number “However, he was never an active member of the party, and politics had nothing to do with her murder. Ever since Jaishankar opposed encroachments, the accused and their families have been picking fights with us without cause,” the relative said.
While the village is considered a stronghold of the PMK, a few neighbours of Gomathi said the accused families resided close to Gomathi’s house and claimed to be members of the DMK. “They do not hold any significant positions in the DMK, but tried to project themselves as prominent local functionaries of the party,” a neighbour said.
A press statement from the Cuddalore district superintendent of police on Tuesday night reiterated that there was no political motive behind the murder. “Based on the statements of 15 villagers, including 10 eyewitnesses, the accused were arrested. Enmity regarding land was the reason and the rumours are unfounded,” the police statement said.
Fight over land dispute, says kin
Jaishankar, a PMK functionary who is the brother-in-law of the murder victim and husband of the vice-president of the Ramapuram panchayat, said the key issue was a dispute over 33 cents of poramboke land, a part of which was allegedly registered in the name of J Kalaimani, the main accused in the murder case, through illegal means