The Mayiladuthurai District and Sessions Court on Friday sentenced nine persons to life imprisonment for the 2022 murder of Kannan, a resident of Kothu Street, in a case that began with a disagreement over the film Jai Bhim and spiralled into caste tension and revenge killings.
Delivering the verdict, District and Sessions Judge L.S. Sathyamoorthy found the accused — Kathiravan, 41, and eight others from Kalaignar Nagar — guilty of murder and related offences. The court held that the killing stemmed from “continuing enmity” between two local groups divided along community lines.
According to the judgment, the chain of violence began on the night of November 20, 2021, when Kathiravan and his friends, while dining at a pushcart food stall near Pearless cinema, discussed and praised the film Jai Bhim and actor Suriya for portraying a lawyer who “raised the voice of the voiceless.” The group, belonging to the Kalaignar Colony area, publicly applauded the film’s message.
Soon after, Kannan and his friends from Thoppu Koththeru confronted them, saying that the movie “favoured one section of people and demeaned another.” The altercation escalated into a violent clash, leaving Kathiravan and his friends seriously injured. A police case was registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which deepened tensions between the two neighbourhoods.
On August 17, 2022, Kannan was murdered near the new bus stand while travelling with a friend. The police chargesheet said the attack was carried out by Kathiravan’s group as revenge for the earlier assault.
After a year-long trial involving 21 accused and 75 witnesses, the court convicted nine and acquitted the rest.
Relief for bed-ridden man
While pronouncing the judgment, Judge Sathyamoorthy personally stepped outside the courtroom to convey the acquittal of one of the accused who was unable to attend the proceedings due to illness.
Prabhakaran, one of the accused who had attended earlier hearings, was brought to the court complex in an ambulance equipped with oxygen support. Unable to be produced in the courtroom, he waited near the portico as the judge concluded the proceedings inside.
After completing the pronouncement, Sathyamoorthy walked to the ambulance parked under a tree, stepped inside, and informed the accused that he had been acquitted of charges of criminal conspiracy and murder.
Published – October 31, 2025 09:14 pm IST
