Madras HC grants conditional bail to fourth accused in Kavin Selva Ganesh murder case

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has granted conditional bail to Jeyapaul, the fourth accused in the alleged honour killing of Kavin Selva Ganesh in Tirunelveli in July 2025, citing the likely delay in completing the trial and the quashing of charges against two co-accused.

On September 29, 2026, the High Court quashed the charge sheet filed by the CB-CID against Saravanan and Krishnakumari, the parents of Surjith, the prime accused in the case.

Kavin, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste and hailed from Arumugamangalam near Eral in Thoothukudi district, was in a relationship with S. Subhashini, a Siddha doctor from Palayamkottai. Surjith, Subhashini’s younger brother, was arrested by the Tirunelveli police for the murder of Kavin on July 27, 2025. The police subsequently arraigned Surjith’s cousin Jeyapaul and his parents as co-accused in the case.

The prosecution strongly opposed Jeyapaul’s bail plea, alleging that he had played a role in the conspiracy and helped the prime accused destroy evidence at his quarry.

However, Justice S. Karthikeyan granted him conditional bail, observing that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future. The court noted that as the prosecution proposed to examine 70 witnesses and had collected 37 documents, it is unlikely of completion of trail in the near future.

It also took into account the quashing of charges against Saravanan and Krishnakumari.

The court directed Jeyapaul not to enter the village where the crime occurred or contact the complainant, either directly or electronically. He must also report before the trial court at 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. daily until further orders.

The court declined to quash the case against Jeyapaul.