Chennai, July 30 (IANS) The brutal murder of a 27-year-old IT employee Kavin Selvaganesh, allegedly driven by caste hatred, has been transferred to the Crime Branch-CID (CB-CID) for further investigation, police sources confirmed on Wednesday.
Kavin, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, was hacked to death in Tirunelveli on July 27.
Following a complaint by the victim’s mother, Tamil Selvi, a schoolteacher, the Palayamkottai police registered a murder case and arrested S. Surjith (23), who belongs to a Most Backward Classes (MBC) community.
Investigators said Surjith suspected Kavin was in a relationship with his sister, a Siddha medical practitioner, and murdered him.
Tirunelveli City Commissioner of Police Santosh Hadimani has ordered Surjith’s detention under the Goondas Act, citing threat to public order by him.
An official statement from the Tirunelveli City Police confirmed the preventive detention.
Meanwhile, Kavin’s family has refused to accept his body from the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, demanding the arrest of Surjith’s parents — Sub-Inspectors Saravanan and Krishnakumari — who have also been named as accused in the First Information Report (FIR).
Both officers have been placed under suspension. Talks between police officials and the grieving family on Tuesday night failed to reach a resolution.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Kavin’s body remained unclaimed.
Investigators have begun questioning Saravanan and Krishnakumari to determine whether they had prior knowledge of Surjith’s alleged plan or played a role in the crime.
Police sources revealed that Surjith had repeatedly warned Kavin to end his relationship with his sister because he belonged to an SC community.
According to police, Surjith attacked Kavin when he visited the Siddha hospital where his girlfriend worked, bringing his grandfather for treatment on Sunday.
Surjith was arrested the same day, and police now plan to take him into custody for further interrogation as part of the CB-CID’s probe.
The murder has sparked outrage, with local activists and political parties demanding justice and stringent action against the accused.
The case has once again drawn attention to caste-based violence in Tamil Nadu, where several such incidents have been reported in recent years despite awareness campaigns and strict laws.
–IANS
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