2015 caste-killing: Victim Gokulraj’s mother moves HC against acquittal of five accused

In March 2022, Yuvaraj, the prime convict in the case and the second accused Arun, were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Madurai court.
Dalit youth Gokulraj
Dalit youth Gokulraj
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Gokulraj’s mother has filed an appeal in the Madurai Bench in Madras High Court against the acquittal of five members who were charged as guilty of her son’s murder in 2015. Gokulraj, a Dalit youth who was 21 years old then, was abducted and killed by members of the Gounder community under the suspicion that he was in a relationship with a woman from their community.

In March 2022, Yuvaraj, the prime convict in the case and president of the Dheeran Chinnamalai, a Kongu-Vellalar caste-based outfit, and Arun, were sentenced to life imprisonment on three counts by a Madurai court. Five others – Arun, Kumar, Sathiskumar, Ragu alias Sridhar, Ranjith and Selvaraj — were awarded two life sentences each (imprisonment for life); and Chandrasekaran were awarded one life sentence. Two other convicts – Prabhu and Giridhar – have been awarded life imprisonment, plus five-year rigorous imprisonment along with a Rs 5,000 fine each.

While seventeen were arrested as accused in the case, five of them – Shankar, Arul Senthil, Selvakumar, Thangadurai and Suresh – were acquitted. According to The New Indian Express, Chitra, Gokulraj’s mother challenged the acquittal of these five persons.

A bench of Justices PN Prakash and R Hemalatha on Tuesday, August 16, condoned the delay in filing the appeal and had agreed to hear it. The CB-CID’s petition against the acquittal was adjourned by the bench. There were appeals filed by ten convicts, challenging their conviction and sentence which are also pending before the High Court.

During the intial stages of the investigation, attempts were made to pass of Gokulraj’s murder as a sucide. A month later, in July, Sankar and Kumar, who were arrested for their role in the murder, had confessed to the crime. Before killing Gokulraj, the accused coerced him to record a video and write a suicide note, the police had said. The accused shared the same on social media to try and change the narrative.

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