Thu Dec 25 13:01:37 UTC 2025: Summary:

A special court in Thoothukudi, India, has sentenced three men to triple life imprisonment and one man to double life imprisonment for the 2015 murder of K. Arumugaraja in Srivaikuntam. The victim was previously attacked in 2012, leading to a case registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act). The motive behind the attacks was cited as prior enmity. One of the accused died during the trial, and another was sentenced to five years for the earlier attempted murder.

News Article:

Triple Life Sentences Handed Down in 2015 Srivaikuntam Murder Case

Thoothukudi, India – December 25, 2025 – A Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) special court in Thoothukudi delivered a landmark verdict today, sentencing three men to triple life imprisonment and another to double life imprisonment for the brutal murder of K. Arumugaraja in Srivaikuntam back in 2015.

The case stemmed from a long-standing feud between Arumugaraja, a resident of Velur village, and the convicted individuals. A prior incident in 2012, where Arumugaraja was attacked with a machete and his mother threatened, led to the registration of a case under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act).

The convicted individuals are V. Kasi, K. Esakkimuthu, E. Kannan alias Kannaperumal, and M. Siva alias Sivalingam. Esakkimuthu, Thalavai, and Siva received triple life sentences with a ₹13,000 fine each. Kasi was sentenced to double life imprisonment with a ₹7,000 fine. Kannan, who was not involved in the murder but in the prior assault, received a five-year prison sentence and a ₹12,000 fine for attempted murder. P. Duraimuthu, another accused, passed away during the trial.

P.V. Vasheeth Kumar, sessions judge for the special court, presided over the case. This verdict is expected to send a strong message against caste-based violence in the region.

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