Police say Manikandan’s death was the result of a sudden ambush and that the “encounter killing” was in self-defence. Activists have challenged this, arguing that taking the “eye for an eye” route amounts to an illegal extra-judicial killing.
Published Aug 11, 2025 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 11, 2025 | 11:00 AM
Thirty-three-year-old Manikandan (left), accused of murdering SSI Shanmugavel (right), was shot dead with a bullet to the forehead.
Synopsis: A Special Sub-Inspector in Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu, was hacked to death in the early hours of 6 August while responding to a call at a plantation owned by an MLA. Less than 30 hours later, police shot dead the main accused, 33-year-old Manikandan, claiming he attacked officers while retrieving the murder weapon, though activists have challenged this as a possible extra-judicial killing. Conflicting versions about Manikandan’s surrender, the absence of key witness statements, and the hasty cremation have left several questions over the police account unanswered.
In the early hours of 6 August, Special Sub-Inspector (SSI) Shanmugavel was hacked to death while responding to a call at a plantation in Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu.
Less than 30 hours later, police shot dead the main accused, 33-year-old Manikandan, allegedly after he tried to attack other officers while leading them to the spot where he had reportedly hidden the original murder weapon.
The back-to-back incidents have shocked the state and fuelled suspicion of an extra-judicial killing. The police account of events has left many questions unanswered.
Police say Manikandan’s death was the result of a sudden ambush and that the “encounter killing” was in self-defence. Activists have challenged this, arguing that taking the “eye for an eye” route amounts to an illegal extra-judicial killing.
According to West Zone Inspector General of Police (IG) Senthil Kumar, police received information late on the night of 5 August about a quarrel at a plantation owned by Madathukulam AIADMK MLA Mahendran, in Sikkanoothu village, Gudimangalam Union, Tiruppur district.
A few hours later, at about 12.30–1 am the next morning, SSI Shanmugavel and police driver Alaguraja reached the spot.
Police say Manikandan, his father Moorthi, and his younger brother Thangapandi – all originally from Vedasandur in Dindigul district – attacked Shanmugavel with a billhook. The motive and the exact timing of the attack remain unclear.
Police driver Alaguraja and the plantation manager allegedly fled, while SSI Shanmugavel died on the spot.
Soon after, six special teams were formed to track down the accused. IG Senthil Kumar told reporters that the accused had previous criminal cases against them. On 6 August itself, Shanmugavel’s body was cremated.
On 7 August, at about 5.30 am, police took Manikandan to the Upparu stream to recover the murder weapon.
According to police, he retrieved the machete and attacked Sub-Inspector Saravanakumar. Gudimangalam Inspector Thirugnanasambandam then fired a single shot to Manikandan’s forehead, killing him.
The other two accused, Moorthi and Thangapandi, have been remanded to judicial custody for 21 days in Coimbatore Central Prison
This sequence is detailed in the First Information Report (FIR) filed after Manikandan’s death.
The other two accused, Moorthi and Thangapandi, were produced before a judicial magistrate on 7 August and remanded to judicial custody for 21 days in Coimbatore Central Prison.
While being escorted from court, Thangapandi shouted: “If anything happens to us, the police will be responsible. They blindfolded and shot my brother deliberately.”
A local journalist in Udumalpet, who wished to remain anonymous, described SSI Shanmugavel as an honest officer with a clean record who had never been involved in controversy. However, he questioned why the suspect was killed in such haste.
While police have not stated publicly how Manikandan was apprehended, the Joint Action Against Custodial Torture – Tamil Nadu has said he surrendered on 6 August at the Natham Magistrate Court in Nilakottai.
“Is the police’s job to ensure the accused faces trial and punishment in court—or to kill in retaliation?” the group said.
According to the group, the judge said the matter was outside the court’s jurisdiction and advised him to approach the district police superintendent, after which he surrendered there.
This version contradicts the police timeline, which makes no mention of such a surrender. Notably, news reports from 6 August recorded the surrender of Moorthi and Thangapandi, but not Manikandan.
Even the FIR registered after Manikandan’s killing does not specify how or where he was originally apprehended.
A local journalist told South First, on condition of anonymity, that on the day of the murder, information was circulating in media circles that some police officers had hinted an “encounter is certain today” immediately after SSI Shanmugavel’s death, suggesting premeditation.
Furthermore, IG Senthil Kumar said the accused had damaged the police vehicle’s wireless set during the attack on SSI Shanmugavel on 6 August, and that police driver Alaguraja had escaped the attack.
Yet, there has been no statement from Alaguraja about the incident, nor are his whereabouts publicly known.
Manikandan’s body was allegedly cremated in haste in police presence without proper funeral rites, in front of only three women and children from his family.
According to local sources, the women and children are now kept in a shelter in Tiruppur, unable to contact anyone.
MLA Mahendran has said he vetted the men before employing them and has their ID documents, directly contradicting the police claim that they had multiple cases against them.
The police reportedly learned of the quarrel through Mahendran himself, yet they have not detailed what the quarrel was about or the alleged motive behind the murder of SSI Shanmugavel.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
