Tamil Nadu: 16 get life imprisonment in murder case

MADURAI:

Sivaganga District

Sessions Judge Karthikeyan has awarded life sentence to 16 people in a murder case on Thursday.

The incident relating to the murder happened in 2010. A group of men from

Muthukulathor

in

Ramanathapuram district

were staying in Sivaganga to set up sheep pens. Goats belonging to these men were allowed to graze on the lands of farmers in Avarankadu near

Thirupachethi

in Sivaganga district.

As they had been staying on a land belonging to Muniyandi in Avarankadu, they were allowed to graze their goats only on the lands of people specified by Muniyandi.

Chandrakumar

of Avarankadu had approached the men and asked them to bring their goats to his land. Muniyandi opposed this, following which trouble brewed between the supporters of Muniyandi and Chandrakumar.

On August 10, 2010, Chandrakumar and some of his relatives including Alimuthu, 55, were talking in front of a shop. An 18-member gang including M Sekar, 39, M Poosaimani, 32, M Pandivel, 38, M Veerabathiran, 35, K Muniyandi, 61, V Alagupandi, 30, P Muniyandi, 23, C Palaniyandi, 40, T Rajangam, 45, B Prabu, 19, R Muthupandi, 23, P Rathi, 28, M Ramayee, 60, K Veerabathiran, 31, M Michael, K Ganeshan, 32, K Karuppiah, 63 and K Selvaraj, 35, attacked them with deadly weapons.

Alimuthu, who sustained serious injuries, died on the spot. Thirupatchethi police registered a case and arrested 18 people. Two of the accused, Sekar and Karuppiah, died during the trial.

The district sessions judge sentenced all the 16 accused to life imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs 8,000 each.