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Tamil Nadu: Special sub-inspector beaten to death during Diwali; 4 arrested
Special SI Senthil Kumar was attacked following an altercation with a group reportedly blocking a road to burst crackers and record social media reels
Special sub-inspector Senthil Kumar died after an assault following a dispute during Diwali celebrations in Theni
Police arrested four people and are examining CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events and identify others involved
Additional personnel were deployed in Samadharmapuram overnight to prevent further disturbances
A special sub-inspector died after being beaten by a group of youths following an argument during Diwali celebrations in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district late on Sunday night, according to preliminary police information. Four people have been arrested.
The officer, identified as Senthil Kumar, suffered critical injuries in the attack at Samadharmapuram. He was taken to hospital but died before reaching the facility.
Preliminary accounts indicated that a group of youths had blocked a public road while bursting firecrackers and recording social media reels. An altercation broke out between Kumar and members of the group, who reportedly assaulted him.
The youths were said to have been intoxicated. Investigators are working to establish the precise circumstances of the confrontation and determine the involvement of each suspect.
Police have collected CCTV footage from nearby locations to reconstruct the events leading to the attack and identify any other participants.
Theni Superintendent of Police Praveen Gautham visited the scene and reviewed the situation with senior officers. Additional personnel remained deployed in Samadharmapuram through the night to maintain order and prevent further disturbances.
The fatal assault comes less than two weeks after a security breach at Thekkampatti jail in the same district.
On 26 October, 17 undertrial prisoners escaped after reportedly attacking prison personnel. All were subsequently brought back into custody.
Nine prison personnel were suspended following the escape. The Tamil Nadu government also appointed a high-level committee headed by retired Director General of Police J.K. Tripathy to investigate security failures and recommend corrective measures.
With IANS inputs