HC grants bail to accused in Kavin caste killing case

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has granted bail, with conditions, to K. Jayapal, the cousin of Surjith, the main accused in the Kavin Selvaganesh caste killing case.

Jayapal had filed an appeal against an order of the II Additional District Judge (PCR), Tirunelveli, declining to grant him bail. He had been arraigned as co-accused in the case.

Justice S. Karthikeyan granted conditional bail to Jayapal. The court said that, even as per the case of the prosecution, the appellant was not directly involved in the crime, but had actively participated in the conspiracy, preparation, and execution of the caste killing.

The court said that, according to the case of the prosecution, the appellant, being a close relative, intentionally aided the main accused, who destroyed the evidence at his quarry. The allegations against the appellant pertained only to intimidation and aiding in the screening of the evidence subsequent to the occurrence of the crime.

The appellant was arrested on August 13, 2025, and had been incarcerated since then. The prosecution had relied on 70 witnesses, and 37 documents were collected to substantiate its case. There was no likelihood of completion of trial in the near future. Considering the gravity of the offence, the overt act alleged against the appellant, the time to be taken for the completion of the trial, and the quashing of charges in respect of the co-accused, the court said it was inclined to grant bail to the appellant, subject to stringent conditions.

The appellant was directed to report before the trial court every day at 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. till further orders. He was directed not to enter the place of occurrence of the crime. He was also directed not to contact the victim’s family.

Recently, the High Court quashed the charge sheet filed by the CB-CID against Saravanan and Krishnakumari, the parents of Surjith.

Kavin, from Arumugamangalam near Eral in Thoothukudi district, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste community, was in a relationship with S. Subhashini, a Siddha doctor from Palayamkottai. Kavin was murdered in Tirunelveli on July 27, 2025. Surjith, who is Subhashini’s younger brother, was arrested on charges of murder.