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The Tamil Nadu police are facing serious allegations of attempting to cover up the suspicious death of a Dalit man in Tiruppur district by registering it as a case of suicide. While the police maintain that 42-year-old K Murugan, a daily wage labourer, died by suicide, Dalit activists and political leaders have raised doubts, asking how a man with his hands tied could have hanged himself from a tree. Activists also allege that the police’s urgency in cremating the body further raises suspicions over the death.
Murugan, a resident of Sennakkalpalayam village, was found dead on the morning of Thursday, June 26, hanging from a neem tree on land reportedly belonging to one Palaniswami Gounder, under whom Murugan allegedly worked as a daily labourer.
Police registered the case as suicide under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), citing a statement from Murugan’s wife, Manimegalai, who allegedly ruled out foul play.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Manimegalai told the police that Murugan had been mentally distressed due to his prolonged illness and alcohol addiction. He had been undergoing treatment for tuberculosis at the Christian Fellowship Hospital in Oddanchatram but continued to consume alcohol despite medical advice, worsening his health condition, she reportedly said.
The FIR states that Murugan suffered severe stomach pain on the night of June 25 and was taken to the Dharapuram Government Hospital twice. The couple stayed overnight at a relative’s house, and the next morning, Murugan said he was feeling better and left for work. Later that day, Manimegalai was informed that her husband had been found hanging from a tree near Military Colony.
Murugan’s body was recovered by Alangiyam police, sent for post-mortem, and handed over to the family for cremation the following day.
However, activists and Dalit organisations have contested the police version of events. Mugilarasan, State Principal Secretary of Tamil Puligal Katchi, has demanded a thorough investigation, alleging that Manimegalai was pressured to dismiss suspicions surrounding her husband’s death.
In his petition to the Tiruppur Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mugilarasan claimed that Murugan worked as a daily wage labourer for the Gounder family, where his wife also did household chores. He alleged that local residents and relatives were spreading false information about Murugan’s debts and illness to cover up the truth due to caste pressures.
“There is a clear mystery in this death. A man with his hands tied cannot climb a 20-foot-high tree, tie a rope to a branch, and hang himself. If he tried, the branch would break. We believe he was killed and then hanged to make it look like suicide,” the petition stated.
Zonal Secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Siruthai Valluvan, echoed similar concerns, accusing the police of rushing to cremate the body and suppressing evidence.
“Even children won’t believe that Murugan hanged himself with his hands tied. How can the police claim this? The Tamil Nadu government must provide compensation to the family and ensure the safety of Dalit people in the region,” Valluvan said in a statement.
When TNM contacted the Alangiyam police, they denied the allegations of foul play in the death. “When we recovered the body, the hands were not tied but the rope only surrounded his hands. There were no internal injuries disclosed in the post-mortem report and no tight rope marks were seen,” a police officer said over the phone.
With police confirming that the land where Murugan was found belonged to Palaniswami Gounder, further suspicions have been raised.
TNM tried contacting Manimegalai and the Gounder family for their comments. However, they remained unavailable. This report will be updated if and when they respond.