Hours after the Villupuram police arrested two AIADMK party workers for murdering a 14-year-old girl by setting her ablaze, the political party has expelled both of them from the primary membership.
Tweeting about the expulsion on Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK’s joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the two men who have been accused of the crime will be legally punished. “..I condemn this act strongly. I express my deepest condolences to the girl’s family. Strict legal action will be taken against those who were involved in this heinous crime,” he tweeted.
The official statement from AIADMK said that since the duo acted in a manner that would bring disrepute to the party and one that was totally against the rules, regulations, decorum and dignity of the party, the two men are being removed from all the posts and primary membership of the party.
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) May 11, 2020
K Kaliyaperumal and K Murugan were arrested on Sunday for setting a 14-year-old girl named Jayasree on fire. Earlier on Sunday, Murugan had visited Jayasree at her house and urged her to open her father Jayabal’s shop, to which she refused and told him that her father was not at home.
Allegedly incensed by this, he and Kaliyaperumal came to the house and tied Jayasree’s hands, doused her with petrol and set her ablaze. Hearing her cries and seeing smoke emanating from her house, her neighbours rushed to her rescue and sent her to the Villupuram Medical College Hospital for treatment. Jayasree, who had already suffered around 90% burns on her body, gave a statement to the Magistrate naming the two men and succumbed to her injuries on Monday. Based on her statement, the police arrested Kaliyaperumal and Murugan. An FIR has been registered against the two men under various charges including that of Murder.
First round of inquiry has revealed that Murugan and Jayabal had a history of enmity for the last seven years after Murugan chopped off Jayabal’s uncle's arm. There is also a land dispute going on between the two men at present, as per Villupuram Police.