CHENNAI: Six men have been arrested in connection with the murders of two dalit youths at Arakkonam in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday night.
Puli (alias) R Surendran, R Ajith, R Madhan, V Nandakumar, S Karthick, and P Sakthiya were arrested in connection with the murders of Suriya and Arjunan of Gouwtham Nagar and causing life-threatening inquiries to three others.
The Arakkonam taluk police booked them on charges of murder. The police have also invoked the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 as the victims were hailing from the SC community. The police have launched a manhunt for a few others who were involved in the group clash.
In a statement, the police department said a wordy quarrel snowballed into a group clash between two groups on Wednesday night, resulting in the deaths of Suriya and Arjunan. Three of their friends sustained injuries and were undergoing treatment. “The department has been taking appropriate measures as per the provision of the law and acting in an unbiased manner. It will take suitable action against all those who are involved in the criminal act,” said the police in the statement.
It said the department had taken adequate measures and brought the villages of the victims and the accused people in the case under tight police security to maintain law and order. The department also assured that it would take appropriate measures to expedite the financial aid under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to the victims’ families.
DMK president M K Stalin issued a statement condemning the murders of the two youths and urged the police department to take stern measures to maintain law and order until the new government was formed.