Sentencing in Chinthamani petrol bomb case on Apr 6

Karur: The district principal sessions court in Karur on Wednesday adjourned the hearing to April 6 in the 2012 petrol bomb attack case that claimed seven lives during Thevar Jayanthi celebrations in Madurai.All nine convicted accused were produced before the court through video conferencing from Trichy Central Prison. The court on Monday found all nine guilty in connection with the brutal attack. The case dates back to Oct 30, 2012, when a group of youths were returning by car after attending Thevar Jayanthi celebrations at Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district. Near Chinthamani, close to the Madurai bypass check post, their vehicle was intercepted by an armed gang, which hurled petrol bombs before fleeing the scene. A total of 18 people from Puliankulam near Viraganoor sustained injuries in the attack, of whom seven later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.Initially, the Avaniapuram police had arrested 12 individuals in connection with the case. During the course of trial, one accused died, while another was murdered in Feb 2024 while returning to Madurai after attending a court hearing in Karur.The remaining nine accused appeared before the Karur court earlier this week and were remanded in judicial custody at Trichy Central Prison following their conviction.