Three get life term for murdering temple priest

Madurai: The third additional district court in Tirunelveli, on Tuesday, convicted and sentenced three people to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of a temple priest over a dispute between two communities in administering a temple in Seevalaperi village in Tirunelveli district in 2021.The case of the prosecution is that there was an arrangement between two communities with regard to administering the Sudalai Madasamy Temple in Seevalaperi village, and sharing the income. People belonging to the thevar community would administer the shops outside the temple, and those belonging to the konar community were engaged in other activities in the temple. Deceased Chidambaram alias Durai, 41, belonging to the konar community, was working as a priest. There was a dispute between both communities over leasing the shops and revenue. In this backdrop, an armed gang belonging to the thevar community attacked Chidambaram and his friend Nataraja Perumal on April 18, 2021. While Chidambaram died, Perumal sustained severe injuries. The Seevalaperi police registered a case against 13 people for murder and other offences under IPC.The judge, A Robinson George, convicted and sentenced Thangapandi, Petchikutti, and Murugan to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of 5,000 each on them. The other accused were acquitted.