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Surjith, the 23-year-old man who brutally murdered IT professional Kavin Selvaganesh (27) in broad daylight, has been detained under the Goondas Act. The preventive detention order was issued on Wednesday, July 30, by Tirunelveli Commissioner of Police, Santosh Hadimani.
According to a press release from the Commissioner’s office, Surjith has been booked under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act for engaging in activities that disturb public order. The Goondas Act which is officially known as the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Cyber Law Offenders, Drug-offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Forest-offenders, Sand-offenders, Sexual-offenders, Slum-grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 — allows for detention without bail of individuals considered a threat to public order, including murder accused and habitual offenders. Under the Act, the accused cannot get a bail till the detention order is cancelled by a court.
Kavin was hacked to death by Surjith on July 27 in Tirunelveli’s KTC Nagar. The murder is believed to have been triggered by Kavin’s relationship with Surjith’s sister, Subhashini. The relationship was allegedly opposed by her family due to caste differences. Kavin belonged to the Scheduled Caste Devendra Kula Vellalar community, while Subhashini’s family was from the Thevar community’s Maravar sub-caste, falling under Denotified Communities (DNC) in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi.
Kavin’s mother, Tamilselvi, who witnessed the murder, has filed a complaint stating that Surjith used casteist slurs during the attack and claimed his parents — both serving as Sub-Inspectors of Police — would be “at peace” only after Kavin’s death.
Despite these allegations, Surjith’s parents, Saravanan and Krishnakumari, have not yet been arrested. Kavin’s family has refused to claim his body or accept victim compensation until the two are taken into custody. However, both officers were suspended from service on Tuesday.
An FIR has been registered against Surjith and his parents under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.