Madras HC Upholds Life Sentences for 26 in Kachanatham Caste Murders
Madras HC Upholds Life Sentences for 26 in Kachanatham Caste Murders
Madurai bench confirms life terms for 26 convicts in the 2018 Kachanatham caste killings, acquitting Ilayaraja.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday upheld the life sentences imposed by the trial court on 26 convicts in the 2018 murder of three Scheduled Caste men at Kachanatham in Sivaganga district, and acquitted one person, Ilayaraja.
A Division Bench of Justices G.K. Ilanthiraiyan and R. Poornima confirmed the life sentences and acquitted Ilayaraja, who had been named along with others in the case. The judgment reflects the court’s review of the evidence presented during trial and the arguments advanced by the prosecution and defence.
The case centers on a brutal attack by an armed gang of caste Hindus during a temple festival, when the victims—three Scheduled Caste men from a village—were hacked to death. The incident drew attention to caste violence in rural Tamil Nadu and led to a high-profile legal process under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
In 2022, a Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under the SC/ST (POA) Act in Sivaganga had convicted 27 individuals from a dominant caste and handed down life sentences. The Madurai Bench’s latest decision maintains life terms for 26 of them while acquitting one defendant, Ilayaraja, of the charges. The court noted the sufficiency of evidence and the credibility of testimonies presented at trial in sustaining the convictions.
The ruling is seen as a reaffirmation of judicial accountability in cases of caste-based violence and a reminder of the legal protections intended for marginalized communities under the SC/ST Act. While one defendant was acquitted, the sentence for the majority underscores the ongoing legal pursuit of justice in a case that shook a Tamil Nadu village and highlighted the persistence of caste tensions in the region.
