TIRUNELVELI: The brutal killing of 27-year-old Dalit techie Kavin Selvaganesh in an alleged honour crime has sparked widespread outrage in Tamil Nadu, prompting the state government to transfer the case to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) for an impartial investigation. The move comes amid mounting pressure from Kavin’s family and rights groups, who have alleged police complicity and demanded immediate arrests of all accused.
Kavin, a native of Tuticorin district and belonging to the Devendra Kula Vellalar (a Scheduled Caste) community, was hacked to death on July 27 in broad daylight in KTC Nagar, Tirunelveli. The murder is believed to have stemmed from his relationship with Subashini, a woman from the Maravar caste, a dominant backward community.
Key Developments:
- Main accused Surjith S (23) has been detained under the Goondas Act, following a detention order by Tirunelveli Commissioner of Police Santosh Hadimani.
- Surjith’s parents — Saravanan and Krishnakumari, both sub-inspectors in the Tamil Nadu Special Police Force — have been suspended from service and named as co-accused in the FIR.
- The CB-CID has taken over the case “to ensure a fair and independent probe” due to the accused’s ties to the police force.
Family’s Protest Continues
For the fourth consecutive day, Kavin’s grieving family has refused to accept his body from the government hospital morgue, demanding:
- Arrest of Subashini’s parents, whom they accuse of being complicit.
- Immediate action against Inspector Kasi Pandian, who allegedly threatened Kavin two weeks before his murder.
Kavin’s father, Chandrasekar, told reporters:
“Even now, no senior officer has come forward to probe this case seriously. Kasi Pandian should be dismissed. If the government continues to delay action, we are ready to launch statewide protests.”
Allegations of Police Misconduct
Activist A. Kathir, founder of Evidence, a Dalit rights organisation, raised serious concerns about the investigation.
At a press conference in Madurai, Kathir alleged:
- Kavin’s family possesses chat records confirming his relationship with Subashini.
- The murder may have involved multiple trained attackers, based on the injury patterns.
- The postmortem was rushed, and he demanded a second, transparent autopsy.
Kathir also urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to break his silence and take decisive action, warning that the incident echoes previous caste violence cases like the Madapuram custodial death.
He reiterated the demand for a special law to prevent caste-based killings, which continue to plague parts of Tamil Nadu despite claims of social progress.
Government Response
In a late-night attempt to defuse tensions, senior ministers K.N. Nehru and Anitha R. Radhakrishnan, along with IG Prem Anand Sinha and Commissioner Hadimani, visited Kavin’s family. They urged the parents to collect the body, assuring them of a transparent investigation now that the case is under CB-CID oversight.
However, the family refused, insisting that Surjith’s parents must be arrested and action be taken against all named in the FIR before they agree to funeral rites.
The Kavin Selvaganesh murder case has become a flashpoint in Tamil Nadu’s ongoing struggle against caste-based violence, raising difficult questions about police bias, institutional complicity, and the urgency for systemic reform in addressing honour crimes. All eyes are now on the CB-CID’s next steps and the state government’s willingness to ensure justice is both delivered and seen to be delivered.
