Bodies of a 19-year-old youth and a 17-year-old girl belonging to two different communities were found in a thatched shed at Sathangudi in Mayiladuthurai district on Tuesday (June 30, 2026), triggering tension in the village.

Police said the youth belonged to the Scheduled Caste community and resided at Pudhupalayam. The girl was from nearby Sathangudi and belonged to the Most Backward Classes. The two were in love, which is said to have been opposed by the girl’s parents, according to the police.

The girl had completed class XII while the youth was a labourer involved in civil works. Police sources said the youth had lodged a complaint with the Poraiyar police on Monday (June 29) claiming he was assaulted based on which a case was registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act against the girl’s father and four others on Tuesday. The police arrested Surya, Surya alias Manimaran, Vasanth, and Viji on Tuesday in connection with the case booked against them on the complaint preferred by the youth. The girl’s father is in police custody, said police sources.

The sources said the girl was reported missing from her house in the early hours on Tuesday. Her parents lodged a complaint with the Poraiyar police station and suspected the role of the youth. Subsequently, a ‘girl missing’ complaint was registered.

Police personnel later found the bodies of the youth and the girl inside a thatched shed at Sathangudi.

The news spread like wildfire triggering tension at Sathangudi. Sources said the youth’s relatives attacked the house of the girl and one of her relatives, damaging household items and other articles upon learning of his death. One of the girl’s relative sustained injury.

A team of police personnel was deployed at the village to prevent the situation from escalating. The parents of the youth suspected foul play behind the death of their son and alleged caste killing. The bodies were shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital at Tiruvarur for autopsy. 

The Superintendent of Police (in-charge), Mayiladuthurai G. Stalin inspected the spot on Tuesday and spoke to the two families separately. Sources said Mr. Stalin pacified the families and appealed to them to cooperate besides assuring that the exact cause of the deaths would be determined based on the autopsy report and necessary action would be initiated accordingly.

A senior police officer said the Poraiyar police had booked a case under Section 194 of the BNSS in connection with the deaths acting on a complaint from a Village Administrative Officer.

As a precautionary measure, pickets have been posted at five places at Sathangudi and in its vicinity with a team of police personnel including an Additional Superintendent of Police and a couple of Deputy Superintendents of Police deployed. Police are also probing if the two had died by suicide.

Later in the day, the girl’s body was handed over to her family after postmortem. The police said the autopsy of the body of the youth was yet to be done.

Members of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi blocked  Sirkazhi-Karaikal Road, demanding that the case be altered into one of murder. The agitation led to traffic diversion.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-2464005)