Members of political parties and social organisations staged a road blockade near the Mayiladuthurai Government Hospital on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
A 28-year-old Scheduled Caste youth was hacked to death near Mayiladuthurai on Monday night, allegedly over his relationship with a woman.
The victim, Vairamuthu of Adiyamangalam village, was a two-wheeler mechanic. He had been in a relationship with Malini, 26, a resident of the same village, for nearly a decade. While both belonged to the same community, Malini’s mother, Vijaya, who hails from another caste, had reportedly opposed the relationship.
According to police, following complaints from both sides, officials had summoned the families on September 14 for an inquiry. Malini is said to have reaffirmed her decision to marry Vairamuthu, after which her family members obtained a written statement from her. She also left her house to live with Vairamuthu after that. On Monday, she had travelled to Chennai to collect documents for registering their marriage.
On Monday night, Vairamuthu, while returning home, was waylaid by an unidentified gang waylaid him near Adiyamangalam and attacked with sickles. He sustained grievous injuries and was rushed to the Government Hospital in Mayiladuthurai, but died on the way.
Superintendent of Police G. Stalin, who visited the spot, said police have detained 10 persons for questioning including Malini’s brothers, in connection with the murder. Four special teams have been formed to nab the absconding suspects.
Meanwhile, members of the CPI(M), Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front, Democratic Youth Federation of India, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, along with the victim’s relatives and villagers, staged a road blockade near the Mayiladuthurai Government Hospital. They demanded that all accused be arrested under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and adequate compensation be provided to the bereaved family.
Traffic along the Mayiladuthurai–Kumbakonam National Highway was disrupted and diverted via alternative routes. The protesters later continued their agitation near the bus stand, even as senior police officers held talks to restore normalcy.
A senior police officer told The Hindu the girl’s father belongs to a Scheduled Caste community and her mother to a caste Hindu community. “We have also requested the Tahsildar for a copy of a caste certificate for the girl. There was a dispute involving the woman’s mother, but we need to investigate whether there was any caste motive behind the murder,” the officer said.
CPI(M) State Secretary P. Shanmugam in a statement strongly condemned the killing, describing it as a case of caste-based honour killing. He alleged that despite prior complaints and open threats issued against Vairamuthu in the presence of the police, no protection was provided to him or his family, leading to the brutal murder. Mr. Shanmugam demanded the immediate arrest of all those involved, registration of a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, adequate compensation and a government job for a member of the victim’s family, and urged the State government to enact a special law to curb recurring caste-based honour killings in Tamil Nadu.
Published – September 17, 2025 12:20 am IST
