Activist seeks good compensation to kin of Nanguneri double murder victims

Activist seeks good compensation to kin of Nanguneri double murder victims

Following a field study of the Nanguneri double murder, Madurai-based activist and founder of the NGO Evidence, Kathir, has called for a significant compensation for the families of the two victims - a Dalit Christian and a migrant worker from Odisha.

Speaking to the press, Mr. Kathir said that because one victim, John, 42, was a Christian rather than Hindu, police have declined to file the case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

“This is a peculiar situation where the victim is a Christian but his wife is a Hindu. A change in religion does not mean one has escaped the reach of caste prejudice,” he said.

He said that both John and the Odisha native, Trianth Katta, 50, were innocent bystanders with no connection to the conflict. Their random targeting, he said, demonstrated the assailants’ complete disregard for their victims and the mindless nature of the attack.

Mr. Kathir alleged that the nine accused belong to a single dominant community and that two among them were previously involved in the violent attack on Nanguneri school student just a year ago.

He asked why the police had failed to mitigate local tensions despite a history of such incidents in the area.