Three booked for murdering 17-year-old boy in Tirupattur

Sivaganga: A 17-year-old boy was allegedly chased and mown down by a car following a brawl in Tirupattur, Sivaganga district on May 2. The incident, which came to light only on Wednesday, sparked a 10-day standoff as grieving relatives refuse to claim the body, demanding the arrest of the accused. Police have booked three people in connection with the incident.The deceased was identified as Praveen Kumar, of Tirupattur. He hailed from the dalit community.Police sources said that on May 2, police received information that a boy was found dead on the Maruthuvakudipatti to Konnathanpatti road in Tirupattur. Police rushed to the spot and found that he died after a car ran over him. They recovered the body and sent it to Tirupattur govt hospital for an autopsy.Based on the complaint from the deceased's father, Ponnalagu, a case was registered by Kandavarayanpatti police under Section 102 of BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on May 3.Initial investigation revealed that Praveen's friend, Dinesh, was involved in an altercation with Meenakshi Sundaram of Tirupattur over a personal dispute on May 1. On May 2, another verbal altercation broke out between the boys and Sundaram. Subsequently, Sundaram and his associates chased the boys. Praveen and his two other friends, who escaped on a two-wheeler, were allegedly hit by a car driven by Senthil Kumar. Praveen suffered serious injuries and died on the spot.Relatives of Praveen told TOI and alleged that an associate of Sundaram murdered the boy after using a casteist slur against him. However, senior police officials clarified that there is no caste angle and the group of boys hailed from various communities.Police have booked a case against Chellaiah, Senthilkumar and Sundaram. No arrests have been made so far. Police are investigating further to ascertain the exact cause of death.