TIRUNELVELI: A 38-year-old man was beaten to death allegedly by his father and elder brother, following a drunken altercation at their residence in Palayamkottai. The incident took place on Friday night, and the man -- C Maharaja, a construction worker from Kakkan Nagar -- died, not responding to treatment at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) on Saturday.
Sources said Maharaja had been separated from his wife and was allegedly consuming liquor frequently. C Isakkimuthu (44), elder brother of Maharaja, has been looking after the latter's daughter. The victim, his father Chellappa, and Isakkimuthu's family had been living in the same house in the city.
According to sources, Maharaja returned home in an inebriated condition on Friday night, and allegedly picked an argument with the family members. When Chellappa and Isakkimuthu attempted to intervene, a scuffle broke out. As the situation intensified, Chellappa and Isakkimuthu allegedly attacked Maharaja with a metal rod. Maharaja sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the TvMCH by his relatives and neighbours, where he died on Saturday morning. The Palayamkottai police registered a murder case and initiated an inquiry with Chellappa and Isakkimuthu.
Filicides, patricides on the rise
The Tirunelveli district has witnessed several incidents of fathers killing their children or vice versa in recent months. On June 25, Tirunelveli city police arrested an 18-year-old boy for murdering his father, who had scolded him for not attending college. On April 1, Sivanthipatti police arrested a 45-year-old man for killing his father over a financial dispute. A 56-year-old man was murdered by his son under Kudankulam police station limits on February 24 after the deceased, in an inebriated state, created a ruckus. Last month, Tirunelveli city police arrested a 78-year-old man for killing his 50-year-old daughter following a family dispute.