Court-Ordered Special Team to Reinvestigate Perumpathu Double Murder

Following directions from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, a special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to strengthen the ongoing probe into the Perumpathu double murder case, which had caused widespread tension in the Tirunelveli district in March this year.

The SIT is headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Shanmugam. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Nanguneri) Sathish Kannan, Nanguneri Crime Branch Inspector Sankareswari, and two Sub-Inspectors are its members. The team commenced its work on Friday and will review the investigation conducted so far, the motive behind the attack, and all related information to build a stronger case.

The case pertains to an incident on the night of March 2, when a group of nine armed men on motorcycles attacked people standing near a roadside tea stall at Perumpathu village near Nanguneri. Two persons — John (42), a differently-abled man from the Scheduled Caste community residing at Indra Colony, and Trinath Kata (50), a migrant labourer from Odisha — were killed on the spot with multiple cut injuries.

The attackers also hacked A. Nelson (55), V. Ramasamy (80), and P. Prabhakaran (50), all from Nadar Street in Perumpathu village on the Nanguneri–Ervadi Road, as well as A. Ganesan (50) of Meerankulam and S. Sasikumar of Kadamboduvazhvu village near Kalakkad. While fleeing, the assailants lobbed two Molotov cocktails to scare onlookers and took away Sasikumar's motorcycle.

Police investigation revealed that longstanding enmity between members of an intermediate caste group, which is numerically strong around Nanguneri, and the Scheduled Caste residents of Indra Colony was the likely reason for the attack. Members of two other intermediate caste groups were also seriously injured in the violence.

The unprovoked killing of innocents drew state-wide condemnation. Police formed three special teams and arrested seven suspects on March 9: S. Kannan (21) of Thennimalai, A. Uchchimakaali alias Mittai (20) of Valliyoor, M. Vasanthakumar (21) of Nedunkulam, P. Antony Michael (18) of Thennimalai, M. Subbaiah alias Subhash (19) of Thennimalai, S. Kalyani (19) of Thennimalai, and M. Raja (19) of Nanguneri.

Subbaiah and Kalyani were also accused in a separate case of attempting to murder a Scheduled Caste student, Chinnadurai, and his younger sister, after trespassing into their house in Nanguneri on August 9, 2023. Subsequently, police arrested more individuals, including Ganesh Pandi of Nanguneri, in connection with the double murder.

When an appeal for bail came up before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, Justice B. Pugalendhi observed that investigators should not carry out the probe 'mechanically' but must strive to secure clinching evidence to prove that the attack was rooted in caste enmity. The judge also directed the police to substantiate with evidence the role of Ganesh Pandi, who had sought bail.

While granting bail to the appellant, the court said the investigation should be closely monitored by the Inspector General of Police, South Zone. It further suggested that a special team of investigators should be constituted, if necessary, to ascertain the actual reason behind the double murder and the attack on victims from different castes.

The newly formed SIT will be monitored by Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Vijayendra Bidari, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Tirunelveli Range) R. Thirunavukkarasu, and Superintendent of Police Vishwesh Balasubramaniam Shastri, according to police sources.