The family of S. Murugesan, a Scheduled Caste man who was killed along with his wife D. Kannagi, belonging to the Most Backward Caste of Vanniyar, in 2003 over their inter-caste marriage, lives in exile today.
The members had to leave their native village of Kuppanatham old colony near Vriddhachalam last month, fearing for their lives, after a series of attacks on them since the day the Special Court for SC/ST cases in Cuddalore pronounced the conviction of the accused, including death sentence for Kannagi’s brother Marudhupandian involved in the brutal murders of both Murugesan and Kannagi, in September last year.
However, district police claimed the latest attacks had nothing to do with the main case.
Murugesan, 25, a chemical engineering graduate belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, and Kannagi, 22, a commerce graduate hailing from a Vanniyar family, were residents of Puthukooraipettai.
They fell in love while studying at Annamalai University. They secretly got married and registered their marriage on May 5, 2003, at Cuddalore. Angered by this, Kannagi’s family launched a hunt for them. On July 7 that year, they traced the couple, abducted them and forced them to drink poison in the early hours of July 8.
S. Velmurugan, the victim’s brother who is now working in Chennai, alleged that the family continued to face attacks in the village. “The attacks, including burning down of our hut in the Kuppanatham old colony, were carried out by those belonging to my caste after being instigated by the dominant Vanniyars for sending Kannagi’s family members to jail in the case.
“Over the past few months, we have been subjected to intimidation and threats. Though we lodged complaints with the police, no concrete action was made in any of the incidents,” Velmurugan told The Hindu.
He claimed, “Most of the Dalit men involved in the attacks are dependent on the Vanniyar community for livelihood. They work in their farms to sustain their livelihoods. None of us now stay in Kuppanatham old colony fearing for our life. While my father Samikannu is now staying with his nephew Veerapandian in Kuppanatham new colony, my mother Chinna Pillai, another brother Sundarapandian and I have moved to my elder sister’s house at Vannangudi Kaadu.”
Mr. Samikannu claimed the family continued to face attacks and the police failed to arrest the men involved in the incidents despite lodging multiple complaints. He said that a group of 15 men brutally assaulted his son S. Palanivel with sickles on March 5 at a tea shop after hurling caste abuses.
“My son sustained severe injuries on his head in the attack and we immediately shifted him to a private hospital in Chennai. I returned to my native when the same men involved in the attack burnt down my hut in Kuppanatham old colony on March 14,” he said.
G. Sugumaran, secretary, Federation for People’s Rights, alleged attacks on the victim’s family continued mainly due to the dominance of the Vanniyars and the indifferent attitude of the Vriddhachalam police. About five incidents of attacks on the family have been reported since October last year.
Though the same persons were involved in all the incidents, the police had failed to arrest any of them in any of these cases. The Vriddhachalam police were reluctant to help the victim’s family since two policemen had also been convicted in the murder case. The government should ensure security to the family, he added.
When contacted, Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan claimed the attacks were not over the Kannagi Murugesan case but personal motive between two families belonging to the same community. As and when a complaint was lodged, we registered an FIR and took action. As many as 10 police pickets had been posted in the area to prevent such incidents, he said.
