THOOTHUKUDI: A 33-year-old man was hacked to death following a quarrel during a family goat sacrifice ceremony for an ear piercing function near Ettayapuram in the Thoothukudi district. Police arrested three people in connection with the murder.
The deceased, Periyanayagam (33), son of Oor Kavalan from Korampallam in Thoothukudi, had gone to Irukkankudi to attend a relative’s ear-piercing ceremony at the house of Senthoorkani from Kavarnagiri.
Police said Periyanayagam was allegedly in an inebriated condition and sitting inside a mini-auto. His relatives reportedly served him food separately. This led to an argument with a few relatives, including Muniyasamy (36) of Kavarnagiri, who questioned the preferential treatment. The quarrel disrupted the function, and the group left the venue midway.
On their way back, they stopped at a tea shop at Keezh Eeral near Ettayapuram. Police said Muniyasamy, along with Pon Madasamy (26) of Manjanayakkanpatti and Mari Selvam (21) of Indira Nagar, Ottapidaram, allegedly attacked Periyanayagam with sickles while he was inside the vehicle and fled the scene.
Ettayapuram police rushed to the spot, recovered the body and sent it to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.
Based on mobile phone tracking, police traced the accused who were hiding in a forest area near Kavarnagiri and arrested them. During preliminary inquiry, the accused reportedly confessed that the murder followed a dispute related to drinking.
Meanwhile, relatives initially refused to receive the body after the post-mortem and staged a protest at the hospital. After talks with police and officials, the body was handed over to the family.