Two youths murder labourer in Coimbatore, film the killing and share online
A 22-year-old labourer was killed by two young men in Sikkalampalayam, who recorded the assault and posted the footage on social media.
S Ashwin, a 22-year-old labourer from Kamaraj Colony, returned home on Wednesday and spent the night at his friend Vishnu’s residence in Sikkalampalayam. In the early hours of Thursday, two youths forced their way into the house, locked the room where Ashwin was sleeping, and assaulted him with a knife, a sickle and a hammer. They captured the killing on a mobile phone, posed for selfies with the corpse, and posted the video and photos online.
The circulation of the footage prompted local residents to alert Kinathukkadavu police, who retrieved the body for a post-mortem and recovered the weapons. Investigators identified the perpetrators as Mathesh, 21, and a 16-year-old from Sikkalampalayam, and six special teams have been formed to locate them. Superintendent of Police A Pavan Kumar noted that Ashwin had previously warned the suspects against drinking, which may have motivated the attack.
Why it matters
The case highlights violent crime fueled by social-media bravado and raises concerns about youth safety in rural Tamil Nadu.
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