In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence of police inspector M. Sellamuthu and affirmed the convictions of others involved in the horrific 'Kannagi-Murugesan' honour killing case in Tamil Nadu. This case, dating back to 2003, involved the brutal murder of an inter-caste couple, S Murugesan and D Kannagi, which was marred by the fabrication of evidence by police officers.
The Supreme Court, in its ruling, confirmed the convictions of nine individuals, including two police officers, K.P. Tamilmaran and M. Sellamuthu. The Court dismissed their appeals, holding them accountable for their roles in falsifying evidence and delaying justice.
The tragedy involved the murder of Murugesan, a Dalit man, and Kannagi, a woman from the Vanniyar community. The couple had secretly married on May 5, 2003. Murugesan, a graduate in Chemical Engineering, was poisoned by Kannagi’s family, who opposed the inter-caste marriage.
Read Also:- Supreme Court Confirms Convictions in Kannagi-Murugesan Honour Killing Case from Tamil Nadu
The police officers, Tamilmaran and Sellamuthu, played a significant role in the delay of justice. Despite being informed about the murders, they failed to register the FIR promptly. When Murugesan's family attempted to file a report, they were subjected to caste-based abuse. The Court emphasized that under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the police are obligated to register an FIR as soon as they are aware of a cognizable offense.
As public outrage grew, nearly nine days after the crime, Sellamuthu fabricated an extrajudicial confession of the first accused and registered a false FIR against Murugesan’s family. He charged four Dalits (Murugesan’s family) and four Vanniyars (Kannagi’s family) with involvement in the crime.
The Supreme Court noted that both officers had committed offenses under Section 217 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 of the SC/ST Act. Tamilmaran was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment, while Sellamuthu was sentenced to life imprisonment for his pivotal role in fabricating evidence.
"The actions of A-15 (Sellamuthu) were deliberate and designed to shield the culprits from the Vanniyar community. He falsely implicated Dalits in the crime, knowing that this could result in death sentences for innocent people. Evidence clearly showed that A-15 manufactured the confessions and evidence, leading to charges being falsely filed against Dalits," the Court observed.
The ruling also upheld the life sentences of nine others involved in the crime, including Kannagi’s family members.
Other reports: Supreme Court Confirms Convictions in Kannagi-Murugesan Honour Killing Case from Tamil Nadu
Bench: Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra
Case: KP Tamilmaran vs State SLP(Crl) No. 1522/2023 and connected cases.
