VAO murder case | Thoothukudi court convicts two men, sentences them to life imprisonment

Thoothukudi court awards life imprisonment to two illicit sand miners for murdering VAO Lourdhu Francis, 56, who had taken steps to check illegal sand quarrying. The judge also fined them ₹3,000 each. Francis had earned the enmity of the miners, who hacked him in his office. The murder triggered shockwaves and an uproar among revenue officials. Following an investigation, the two were arrested and detained under the Goondas Act. The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court allowed the investigation to go on and 144 days later, the accused were awarded life imprisonment. Taskforces have been set up to check illegal sand quarrying in the district.

The Principal District Judge of Thoothukudi on Friday, awarded life imprisonment to two illicit sand miners, who had murdered the Village Administrative Officer of Murappanaadu, Y. Lourdhu Francis, 56, on April 25. Mr. Francis had been taking steps to check illegal sand quarrying. The incident had sent shock waves across the State

The judge also slapped the fine of ₹3,000 on each of the accused persons, R. Ramasubramanian, 33, of Kaliyaavoor near Murappanaadu and his accomplice M. Marimuthu, 35.

Mr. Francis who hailed from Soosaipandiapuram near Pudukottai had been sending reports to the police as well as to his higher-ups about the illicit sand miners operating in areas under his jurisdiction, and had earned the enmity of the two miners. On April 25, when Mr. Francis was in his office, two men had barged in, and hacked at him, leaving him grievously injured. Subsequently, he succumbed to his injuries at the Government Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.

The murder had triggered an uproar among revenue officials. Following an investigation, the Murappanaadu police had arrested Ramasubramanian, an illicit sand miner from nearby Kaliyaavoor, and his associate Marimuthu. The two were subsequently detained under the Goondas Act.

 Preliminary investigations showed that Ramasubramanian and Marimuthu were actively involved in illicit sand mining along the Tamirabharani watercourse as demand for river sand is heavy in this region.

When he was previously the VAO of Adichanallur, Mr. Francis ensured the removal of an encroachment upon government poramboke land, as the government had identified this land to establish a museum to display artefacts retrieved during the ongoing Adichanallur excavations. Enraged over this, the encroachers had tried to murder him, but he had escaped.

Even as the investigation by the Murappanaadu police commenced, then Inspector General of Police, South Zone, Asra Garg, handpicked N. Suresh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi Rural, as the investigation officer of this case on April 28 to ensure a meticulous investigation and the early filing of a charge-sheet.