Murdered temple priest’s body handed over to relatives

Tirunelveli

Relatives of murdered Sudalai Maadasamy Temple priest Chidambaram of Seevalaperi near here accepted the body after the district administration agreed to recommend to the State Government compensation and government job to the family of the deceased.

Moreover, it has been decided to survey the land belonging to Sudalai Maadasamy Temple to protect it from being encroached upon and to set-up a police outpost near the shrine to prevent any unlawful incident in future.

Tension prevailed in Seevalaperi and its surroundings after Chidambaram, who belongs to the Yadhava community, was murdered last Sunday by an armed gang belonging to a different community following long-standing disputes over setting up shops around the temple during festivals and enjoying the revenue.

Though the Yadhava community people, especially the youth, had planned to take out a rally from Azhagumuthu Kone statue in Palayamkottai to the Collectorate, the police persuaded them to give-up the plan. Instead, their community leaders from major political parties participated in the talks held with Collector V. Vishnu.

Besides giving employment to the wife of the murdered priest, the State Government should give compensation of ₹20 lakh to the bereaved family, consisting of two girl children studying in class 9 and 7, they said.

Mr. Vishnu also said a police outpost with a head-constable and four constables would be established at the shrine so as to prevent any untoward incident in future.

Eleven persons have been arrested so far while S. Lakshmanan, 48, from Seevalaperi had surrendered before a court in Nanguneri on Friday.

The Collector has also recommended to the State Government for giving compensation from the Chief Minister’s General Relief Fund to the family of the priest and employment to his wife.

Accepting it, the relatives of Chidambaram received the body at 3.45 p.m.

Even as the body was being taken to Seevalaperi for funeral, miscreants pelted stone on a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus in which the windscreen of the bus was damaged.