23 arrested for beating woman to death

She and four of her companions were mistook for kidnappers

A day after a group of villagers of Athimoor in Polur taluk of Tiruvannamalai beat an elderly woman to death and injured four others, mistaking them for child-lifters, the police arrested 23 persons. They were booked on charges including murder and attempt to murder.

On Wednesday, a mob assaulted the five persons, who had travelled from Chennai to Athimoor village in search of their kula deivam (family deity) temple. Rukmani, a resident of Old Pallavaram in Chennai died on the spot, while four others, including two relatives, who had come from Malaysia, sustained injuries.

Following the incident, the police secured 67 persons from the village for inquiry.

They arrested 23 persons and booked them under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 294b (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 307 (attempt to murder) and 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.