Drunkard murders 15-year-old boy; political parties seek removal of liquor shop from Panagudi

A 15-year-old school student, who suffered multiple cut injuries in an attack allegedly unleashed by a drunkard last Monday and was subsequently undergoing treatment in the hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.

Police said drunkard Sabari Rajan, 27, of Panagudi attacked 15-year-old Lakshmanan of the same area with a sickle even as the boy was alone in his house on Monday (January 5). The incident took place as the victim thwarted Rajan’s attempts to take money from Lakshmanan’s house for buying liquor.

With multiple cut injuries, the boy was admitted to the Kanniyakumari District Government Medical College Hospital at Aasaripallam in Nagercoil, where he breathed his last on Thursday.

The Panagudi police, which registered a case on Monday itself, arrested Sabari Rajan.

Condemning the brutal murder, the Communist Party of India has urged the district administration to immediately remove the liquor shop on Panagudi main road as being demanded by the public.

“Even though the public want the immediate shifting of the liquor shop on Panagudi main road to some other far-off place, the Tasmac refuses to do so as the Tamil Nadu Government is more keen on generating revenue from this liquor shop than protecting its citizens from the drunkards,” said N. Panneerselvam, CPI secretary of Panagudi.

The CPI also alleged that the sale of easily available ganja should also be checked as it was also the prime reason behind heinous crimes.

“We submitted four petitions with the police and the revenue officials in the past demanding the removal of this liquor shop. We also organised a signature campaign to mobilize public support against this liquor shop. Since the Tasmac adamantly refused to remove a liquor shop while the police was haplessly allowing the ganja sale, a teen has been murdered,” the CPI said in a statement.

Pressing this demand, the CPI has proposed to organise demonstration in Panagudi on Saturday (January 10).

Citing ganja as the reason behind this murder, the BJP has also condemned the murder of the teen saying that the boy had been murdered at a place located just 100 meters away from the Panagudi police station.