Condemning the Madras High Court’s verdict on Monday that set aside the death penalty for the prime accused in the 2016 Udumalpet Shankar murder case, Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) called for a demonstration outside the Tiruppur District Collectorate on Tuesday.
In a statement, the TNUEF termed the verdict “shocking” and “worrying” as the High Court set aside the December 2017 verdict of Tiruppur trial court that awarded death sentence to six accused, including to the prime accused B. Chinnasamy. “The [trial court] verdict was awarded in a short span of time for a caste killing,” the statement noted. The anti-caste organisation, affiliated to the CPI(M), urged the State government to appeal against the Madras High Court verdict in the Supreme Court “at the earliest with relevant and strong evidences.”
C. Nandagopal, district secretary of TNUEF, said that members from “Periyarist, Marxist and anti-caste organisations” will participate in the demonstration in Tiruppur on Tuesday. Only around 20 persons will participate in a bid to ensure personal distancing and avoid overcrowding outside the Collectorate, he said.
