Published Nov 05, 2026 | 3:40 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 05, 2026 | 3:40 PM
The Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court against the High Court's order following a request from Kavin's parents.
Synopsis: The Supreme Court has dismissed the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against a Madras High Court order quashing the chargesheet against the parents of Surjith, the prime accused in the July 2025 murder of 27-year-old Dalit IT professional C Kavin Selvaganesh in Tirunelveli. The CB-CID had alleged that Surjith’s parents, both serving Sub-Inspectors in the Tamil Nadu Special Police Force, knew about the murder plan and helped him destroy evidence and evade arrest.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against a Madras High Court order quashing the chargesheet against the parents of Surjith, the prime accused in the July 2025 murder of 27-year-old Dalit IT professional C Kavin Selvaganesh.
A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Chandrasekhar observed that the criminal case had been handled in a manner in which a criminal case ought not to be handled. It dismissed the State’s appeal.
Kavin was hacked to death at KTC Nagar in Tirunelveli on 27 July 2025.
Kavin, a resident of Arumugamangalam, Thoothukudi district, was hacked to death at KTC Nagar in Tirunelveli on 27 July 2025. The murder was allegedly committed over his relationship with a woman from another caste.
The woman’s brother, Surjith, was arrested as the prime accused. Her parents, K Saravanan and Krishnakumari, both Sub-Inspectors in the Tamil Nadu Special Police Force, and their relative Jayapal were also named as accused.
In a complaint lodged at the Palayamkottai Police Station, Kavin’s mother, S Tamilselvi, alleged that Surjith had murdered her son at the instigation of his parents. “Since both of them are sub-inspectors, a murder case should also be filed against them,” she demanded.
The CB-CID alleged that Saravanan and Krishnakumari knew about the murder plan and helped their son destroy evidence and evade arrest after the killing. Both police officers were suspended following the murder to ensure an impartial investigation. The CB-CID arrested Krishnakumari in May 2026. Saravanan and Jayapal had already been arrested in the case.
On 29 September, the Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench quashed the chargesheet against Saravanan and Krishnakumari, citing insufficient evidence to establish their involvement in the murder. It dismissed Jayapal’s petition seeking similar relief.
The Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order following a request from Kavin’s parents to pursue further legal action.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)
