Family of 4 killed in Tamil Nadu after quarrel over drinking in their farm; 1 arrested

The victims have been identified as a farmer Senthil Kumar (49), his cousin Mohanraj (47), and aunts Pushpavathi (65), and Rathinambal (55).

Tamil Nadu police on Monday arrested one person for the murder of an entire family of four in Tamil Nadu’s Tirupur district, officials familiar with the matter said. The shocking murder led a huge posse of police officers to be stationed in Palladam.

A FIR was registered against four accused under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on September 3. (HT Archives)

The victims have been identified as a farmer Senthil Kumar (49), his cousin Mohanraj (47), and aunts Pushpavathi (65), and Rathinambal (55).

On Sunday around 7 pm, Senthil kumar went to his farm land after he was told that a group of unidentified people were drinking alcohol on his land and told them to stop, people in the know of the matter said. The verbal argument escalated and Senthil kumar’s relatives also joined him, after which, the group took out sickles and murdered them.

All of them died on the spot, said chief minister M K Stalin while offering his condolences and providing a solatium of ₹2 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased. They were found dead with several cut injuries on their bodies . “I have instructed the police to arrest the other criminals as soon as possible,” the chief minister said.

Tamil Nadu BJP’s state president K Annamalai said that one of the deceased was a functionary of the party. They were “brutally killed last night for objecting to drunkards for using their backyard”, he said. “Member of the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] was murdered in Tirunelveli district last night…It is clear that there is a breakdown of law and order. Tamil Nadu has become a centre of violence.”