A court in Thoothukudi has sentenced six DMK men to life imprisonment for the murder of an AIADMK supporter who was allegedly set on fire and thrown into a burning van during a political clash in Vilathikulam in April 2021, as reported in Times of India.
The incident took place during the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign, when a dispute reportedly broke out between DMK and AIADMK supporters over an alleged attempt to influence a voter with money.
According to the prosecution, on 2 April 2021, DMK supporters campaigning for party candidate G V Markandeyan in Vilathikulam constituency allegedly offered money to Jayabharathi, wife of AIADMK supporter Kalidass, in exchange for her vote. She refused the offer, leading to an argument.
The following morning, Kalidass confronted Murugan, one of the accused, at his fruit shop in Pudur Bazaar. A quarrel broke out, during which Kalidass’s relatives allegedly assaulted Murugan. A separate police complaint was subsequently filed over the incident.
Later that evening, around 7 pm on April 3, the accused allegedly gathered outside Kalidass’s house in N Jegaveerapuram, damaged two vans and set them on fire. When Kalidass intervened, they poured petrol on him and threw him into one of the burning vehicles, the prosecution said.
Kalidass sustained extensive burn injuries and was treated at several hospitals. He died of sepsis on 8 June 2021, 66 days after the attack.
On Monday, I Additional District and Sessions Judge M Thandavan convicted Alagupandi, Marisamy, Sathishkumar, Pandishwaran and Manojkumar of murder and property damage, sentencing all five to life imprisonment. Murugan was also sentenced to life imprisonment for abetting the murder. Two other accused died during the trial.
The court’s verdict came despite seven of the 25 prosecution witnesses, including Kalidass’s wife and his injured brother, turning hostile.
A key factor in the conviction was Kalidass’s original police complaint, recorded just hours after the attack. The court accepted it as a dying declaration under Section 32 of the Indian Evidence Act. Medical evidence established that Kalidass was conscious when he was first admitted to hospital and that his death was caused by the burn injuries.
However, the judge found that the prosecution had failed to establish the alleged initial cash-for-votes confrontation. The five accused alleged to have directly participated in the attack were also acquitted of charges relating to rioting with deadly weapons, causing grievous hurt and using obscene language, due to insufficient evidence.
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