Of nearly 100 murders in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin in last 10 months, 25 have casteist overtones.

Caste clashes and murders are nothing new to the two southern districts of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin. But in the last 10 months, nearly 100 murders, many of them with caste and political overtones, have shocked the residents no end.

The latest to be brutally murdered was a quarry worker, P. Ilaiyaraja (33), a Dalit from Ponnusamy Nagar near Pettai here on Friday night.

Though more than 70 per cent of the 96 murders till date can be linked to personal motives, such as property disputes and illicit affairs, it is undeniable that the deep-rooted caste sentiments in the region led to the loss of nearly 25 lives. This includes the recent murder of ruling party functionaries like Pictchaiah, a moneylender from Kongaraayakurichi in Tuticorin district.

A retired police officer says while preventing murders due to personal motive is nearly impossible, caste-based killings can be prevented if the police have an unbiased intelligence network at the ground-level. Corruption and caste-affiliation of mid-level officials pose serious threat to the law and order, says the officer.