After a two-year investigation into the Vengaivayal case, where an overhead drinking water tank was intentionally contaminated with human faeces in a Scheduled Caste village in Pudukkottai district, the Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court on 24 January 2025, that three individuals were involved in the incident. The government revealed that Sudarsan, Muthukrishnan, and Muraliraja, all from the Vengaivayal area, were linked to the crime. However, this revelation has not satisfied local residents, opposition parties, or even the ruling DMK allies, all calling for a CBI investigation amid suspicions surrounding the case.
A charge sheet was filed against the accused, alleging that Muraliraja spread false information, while Sudarsan and Muthukrishnan climbed onto the overhead tank and deliberately contaminated the water with human feces. Reports suggest the act was motivated by revenge against the husband of the Muttukadu panchayat president. The incident, which occurred on 26 December 2022, shocked the village, as human waste was discovered in the overhead water tank supplying water to Scheduled Caste residents.
Initially, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the case, and it was later transferred to the CB-CID in 2023.
After the charge sheet was filed in the Madras High Court, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, an ally of the ruling DMK, urged the court not to accept the charge sheet and called for a CBI investigation into the sensitive case. Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P. Shanmugam echoed Thirumavalavan’s demands, urging the DMK government to hand the case over to the central agency to uncover the “real culprits.”
Thirumavalavan expressed his shock at the police’s final report, which implicated three Dalits as the perpetrators, and accused the authorities of attempting to protect the true offenders. He further argued that the case should be transferred to the CBI to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident.
Another ally of the ruling DMK, the CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam also criticized the charge sheet filed by the CB-CID, claiming that it suggested the mixing of human waste in the water tank was an act of revenge by the three accused, aimed at framing another individual. He found this explanation unacceptable, stating that after two years, the police seemed intent on closing the case and were wrongly framing the victims. “This is an inappropriate approach,” he said.
Another ally of the DMK, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Chief Selvaperunthagai, has criticized the report, stating, “The individuals who filed the complaint in the Vengaivayal case have been made criminals. This case should be thoroughly investigated and re-examined to ensure that there are no doubts left for anyone.”
Former Fisheries Minister and Senior AIADMK leader D. Jayakumar also demanded a CBI probe, pointing out that both the VCK and CPM lacked confidence in the police under the DMK-led government and called for a central investigation to identify the real culprits.
Despite the mounting calls for a broader investigation, the ruling DMK government has sought to suppress the probe, with the Tamil Nadu government urging the public to avoid spreading false information about the Vengaivayal case. The government clarified that the crime was committed by three individuals due to personal enmity.
What Do Residents Say On CB-CID Status Report?
The CB-CID’s status report on the Vengaivayal case has sparked mixed reactions from the residents of Vengaivayal and Eraiyur villages in Pudukkottai district. The report names Murali Raja, Sudarshan, and Muthukrishnan, all of whom are from Vengaivayal and belong to the Scheduled Caste, as the main accused in the case where human feces were deliberately dumped into an overhead water tank that supplied water to Scheduled Caste families. The report claims the motive behind the incident was personal animosity towards Muthaiya, a former president of the Muthukadu panchayat and the spouse of the current president, Padma.
In Vengaivayal, a village predominantly inhabited by Scheduled Caste residents, the findings have been met with grief and disbelief. K.R. Murugan, an auto-rickshaw driver in the village, expressed his shock, saying, “For two years, we have lived in distress, waiting for justice. This report is not only unfair but also shocking. It’s heartless and unreasonable to accuse people from our own community of contaminating the water that serves our families. We are the victims in this case.” Murugan further mentioned that the villagers are consulting with local leaders and organizations that have supported them thus far to determine their next steps in response to the report.
On the other hand, residents of Eraiyur, a neighboring village predominantly inhabited by caste Hindus, have expressed relief at the findings. M. Adaikkappan, a local resident, said, “We trusted the state government’s investigation, and we are pleased with the status report. It seems that the right people have been identified as the culprits. Our village can now breathe a sigh of relief.”
However, despite the filing of the report, issues of caste discrimination remain unresolved in the area. Two cases from Eraiyur — one concerning the alleged use of a two-tumbler system and another involving the denial of temple entry to Dalits — are still pending trial. In one case, Mookaiya, a shop owner from the caste Hindu community, was booked for practicing the two-tumbler system. In the other case, Singammal, a woman, was booked for allegedly insulting Scheduled Caste residents while “in a trance” during an event when the Collector facilitated their entry to the temple. Both individuals were arrested but later released on bail. To protest the CB-CID’s status report, members of the VCK district unit plan to hold a demonstration in Pudukkottai on 25 January 2025.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.