MADURAI
Relatives of the former panchayat president, S. Murugan, a Dalit, who was hacked to death by an unidentified gang at Keezha Vadakkur near Silaiman on Monday afternoon, refused to accept the body, pressing for the arrest of the assailants.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi cadre, led by its State deputy general secretary V. Kaniamuthan, staged a road roko in front of Government Rajaji Hospital, stating that though the former Dalit panchayat president faced threat, he was not given proper police protection.
“The High Court had directed the Sivaganga Collector and the Superintendent of Police to provide him firearm licence. But, it was not given to him,” Mr. Kaniamuthan, complained.
Stating that Murugan had been raising issues related to untouchability in Vembathur, Mr. Kaniamuthan said Murugan’s younger brother Muthukrishnan was murdered only because of this.
However, Madurai Superintendent of Police Vijayendra Bidari said three persons were arrested in connection with the murder of Murugan and the police were on the lookout for some others.
Meanwhile, Sivaganga Superintendent of Police T. Jeyachandran said the petition from Murugan seeking firearms licence was rejected as he was involved in five cases, including a murder case, under the Arms Act and a hurt case.
“However, the district police were escorting him whenever he entered our district. Even on Monday, he was escorted up to Madurai district border,” he added.
An armed gang indiscriminately hacked Murugan to death when he was returning to Puliyankulam in Madurai district, where he had shifted his home, from Sivaganga district.
Meanwhile, in her complaint, Murugan’s wife Parameswari made a mention of the Sivaganga Collector and the SP for “failing to provide him firearms licence”.
Silaiman police have registered case of murder and under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against 10 persons, including a police head constable, Kannan, who is said to be a relative of the caste Hindus suspected to be behind the murder.
The body has been kept at the GRH.
