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The communicative truthful far: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court connected February 26, 2026, pronounced its judgement connected the appeals filed by the 27 convicts successful the sensational 2018 Kachanatham caste sidesplitting case. The tribunal upheld the beingness condemnation imposed connected 26 convicts and acquitted 1 person. On May 28, 2018, a mob belonging to a ascendant intermediate caste attacked radical belonging to a Scheduled Caste pursuing a quality implicit presenting temple honours astatine Kachanatham colony successful Sivaganga territory of Tamil Nadu. Three persons belonging to the Scheduled Caste were murdered and respective others were injured.
What triggered the caste killings?
Amid tensions betwixt the caste Hindus and the Devendra Kula Vellalars (listed arsenic Scheduled Caste-Pallars), A. Deiventhiran, a subordinate of the Scheduled Caste, serving arsenic Lance Naik successful the Army, and his person Prabakaran, a policeman serving successful the Tallakulam constabulary presumption successful Madurai, arrived astatine Kachanatham to be the yearly festival astatine Karuppannasamy temple connected May 25 successful 2018.
“The members of the ascendant Agamudayar assemblage were enraged that the Devendra Kula Velalars did not contiguous them ‘kalanji’ (honours) of the Karuppansamy temple, arsenic was the signifier earlier,” states a report successful The Hindu.
A quarrel broke retired connected May 26 erstwhile C. Suman, 19, a caste Hindu from the village, objected to the duo “staring” astatine him. Citing sources, a report successful The Hindu said erstwhile Deiventhiran asked him to “mind his ain business”, an enraged Suman threatened the duo with a sword. “We ne'er confronted him but helium [Suman] was bent connected picking up a fight,” said Deiventhiran.
Prabhakaran and Deiventhiran reported the incidental to the Thirupachethi police. When Suman and his member Arun could not beryllium found, the constabulary took their parents for questioning. They were released the aforesaid evening. “But this appears to person triggered the brutal onslaught that followed,” The Hindu report added.
As directed by the Thirupachethi constabulary for reasons of jurisdiction, the villagers lodged a ailment with the Palayanoor constabulary presumption connected May 28. Police unit from this presumption visited the colony the aforesaid day.
What happened connected time of attacks?
On nighttime of May 28, an equipped radical from the ascendant assemblage attacked the Scheduled Caste settlement.
Suman and his member Arun, who allegedly led a pack of attackers, recovered Deiventhiran’s begetter K. Arumugam, 65, unsocial astatine home, dragged him out, and hacked him to death. They past entered the location of A. Shanmuganathan, wherever astir of the victims of the transgression were gathered, and attacked them indiscriminately. Shanmuganathan was besides murdered, too V. Chandrasekhar, different villager who died astatine Government Rajaji Hospital successful Madurai aft 2 days. Before leaving, they entered different location and attacked S. Dhanasekaran and his lad D. Sugumaran, a post-graduate preparing for the civilian services examination. Dhanasekaran, who sustained injuries, died of wellness complications a twelvemonth later.
Suspension of policemen for collusion
According to The Hindu report, Superintendent of Police T. Jayachandran said aft finding prima facie that the Palayanoor constabulary had acted successful collusion with the accused, helium had placed 2 sub-inspectors nether suspension.
Case and arrests
On May 30, 2 accused were arrested and 5 others — Ajaydevan, Suman, Arunkumar, Agni, and Rajesh — surrendered earlier the IV Judicial Magistrate. On June 1, the Palayanoor constabulary booked 33 persons, including 4 juveniles. One of the accused was absconding, portion different died during trial. They were booked for offences nether sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Conviction, sentencing successful 2022
On August 1, 2022, the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases nether the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act successful Sivaganga pronounced each the 27 accused blameworthy of execution of the 3 men. On August 5, the tribunal imposed a beingness condemnation connected the 27 convicts.
