Residents of Keelaseval staged a protest on 17 November 2024, along the Tirunelveli-Ambasamudram road in Melaseval, condemning the recent murder of a local painter. The victim, M. Manikandan, a member of the MBC community, was allegedly killed on 15 November night by three men from the SC community. The murder is believed to be an act of retaliation for the earlier killing of an SC man, marking the latest in a series of murders linked to ongoing tensions between the MBC and SC communities in the area.
According to reports from TNIE, the three suspects approached Manikandan while he was standing near the Karunkulam TASMAC outlet and fatally attacked him. Following the murder, Manikandan’s brother, Esakkimuthu, filed a complaint, prompting the Melapalayam police to register a case and initiate a manhunt. The suspects—identified as Anandaraj, Maharajan, and another Maharajan—turned themselves in at the Tirunelveli judicial magistrate court on Saturday and were subsequently taken into custody at Palayamkottai central prison.
In response to the murder, MBC residents in Keelaseval organized a protest, demanding government support for Manikandan’s widow and their six-year-old child, including a job, housing, and financial compensation. Local authorities, including Superintendent of Police N. Silambarasan and Cheranmahadevi Sub-Collector Arpit Jain, engaged with the protesters and eventually helped disperse the crowd.
The tensions that led to Manikandan’s death have their roots in a long-standing rivalry between the MBC and SC communities, which began in 2010. The feud escalated in 2013 after the murder of an SC man, Dharmaraj, allegedly by MBC individuals. In retaliation, MBC member Karthik was killed by SC men, and subsequent murders followed, with violence continuing for years. In 2021, the rivalry reached a grisly peak when SC men beheaded Sankara Subramanian and placed his head on the grave of a previous victim, prompting further killings and escalating the cycle of violence.
The murder of Manikandan has reignited these tensions, drawing calls from activists for higher-level intervention to stop the cycle of caste-based retaliation. Police have increased their presence in the area, with nearly 950 officers deployed to maintain order. SP Silambarasan emphasized that the ongoing investigation would determine whether Manikandan’s death is linked to previous retaliatory killings.
Additionally, following recommendations from the SP, the district collector ordered the detention of Kannapiran (also known as Kanthasamy) and Siva (known as Rocky Siva) under the National Security Act. Both individuals, reportedly involved in inciting communal unrest, have been taken into custody at Cuddalore central prison.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)
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