MADURAI: A 59-year-old man was beaten to death by a group of people near Puliyangudi in Tenkasi district. The deceased victim has been identified as Pandaram alias Velusamy of Paraipatti, sources said.
The incident occurred on Monday while a group of mourners were on their way to take ‘neer maalai’ as part of a funeral ritual before the burial of a 70-year-old man Samuthirapandi, who died of natural causes.
Ponnusamy and his father Velu raised objections to take ‘neer maalai’ claiming that the place belongs to them. However, a quarrel immediately erupted between Ponnusamy and his group and the mourners and they exchanged blows.
Meanwhile, Velusamy, the victim, intervened in support of Ponnusamy to stop the problem. But, Velusamy bore the brunt of the attack after some of the mourners beat him with sticks on his head.
The critically injured Velusamy was rushed to Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries on Monday night. Investigations revealed that the disputed site for taking ‘neer maalai’ was encroached on by the group, which objected. Based on a complaint, Puliyangudi police filed a case and arrested twelve persons in connection with the incident, sources said.