Mistaken for child kidnapper, woman beaten to death in Tiruvannamalai village

A 55-year-old woman was beaten to death by a group of villagers at Athimoor village in Polur taluk of Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu after they mistook her and four others for child kidnappers on Wednesday. The five had travelled to the village in search of their ‘kuladeivam’ (family diety) temple when the incident happened.

Tiruvannamalai District Superintendent of Police R. Ponni said that Rukmani, a resident of Old Pallavaram in Chennai, died of her injuries on the spot, while Chandrasekharan (34) of Sathanur; Mohankumar (34), who had come from Malaysia; Venkatesan (51); and Gajendran, a car driver, were taken to the Government Tiruvannamalai Medical College and Hospital. Later, Gajendran was shifted to a private medical college in Vellore and Chandrasekharan, Mohankumar and Venkatesan referred to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital at Adukkamparai.

“They were relatives. When they reached Athimoor via Jamunamarathur in a car rumours spread among the villagers that they were child kidnappers and a mob started attacking them and their vehicle,” the police official said.

Police said they have obtained videos and photographs of the lynching incident. “We are looking at these videos and photographs to nab the accused,” she said. Senior police officials rushed to the spot soon after the incident.

On April 29, a man aged about 30 years was beaten to death by a group of residents of Parasuramapatti in Gudiyatham Town in Vellore after they mistook him for a robber.