Two killed, eight injured as gang attacks villagers

Police said that there was a previous enmity between the people belonging to two communities of Avarankadu and Kachanatham villages. There was also a feud between the two communities over participating in a temple festival. 

Against this backdrop, some youth belonging to Kachanatham village were manhandled by the people of Avarankadu village, when they were going to their houses on Monday evening.

In a fit of rage, a group of people of Kachanatham went to Avarankadu and attacked the residents there with sickles late on Monday night. In the deadly attack, two persons identified as Arumugham (56) and Shanmugarajan (26) were killed, while eight others sustained multiple cut injuries. 

The injured were admitted in government hospitals at Sivaganga and Madurai. The condition of two injured persons was said to be critical. 

Senior police officers along with a heavy posse of police rushed to the village to prevent any backlash in the wake of the tense situation. Five persons surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate Court in Madurai in connection with the double murder.