VCK functionary killed in Madurai, eight arrested

At 10 pm, Arulmozhi, wife of the deceased, Muthalagu, heard her neighbour scream. She rushed out and saw her husband lying in a pool of blood with cut marks all over the body. Immediately, Nagamalai Pudukottai police were informed and they sent the body for post mortem. 

In the investigation, police found that Muthalagu, Tirupparakundram Union Organiser of VCK, had been involved in a series of protests and there had been several murder attempts on him. 

Recently, he had organised a protest against TASMAC shops in his village and had closed shop. It is said that a group of caste Hindus had been planning to murder him over the TASMAC shops issue.  Police said that the key accused in the case was Chandirapandi (22), who was also from Vadapalanji. He along with his men were arrested and remanded.  

However, on Thursday, VCK cadres, relatives of Muthalagu and residents of Vadapalanji, along with other Dalit activists staged a road roko in front of Madurai GRH, where the body of Muthalagu was kept, and also at Nagamalai Pudukkkottai. They wanted all the accused in the case arrested, otherwise they would not accept the body. Police officials held talks with them and assured that they would go ahead with the case in a full-fledged manner and arrest the accused. The protesters withdrew their protests after the assurance.

A Kathir, Executive Director, Evidence, an NGO working for the welfare of Scheduled Castes based at Madurai, visited the murder spot, at Vadapalanji on Thursday. He said that the life of activists working for the welfare of Dalits is at risk in the state as more than 25 Dalit activists were murdered in a year. He interacted with the family of Muthalagu and participated in the road roko.