Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, in a July 2025 ruling, dismissed the chargesheet filed against Saravanan and Krishnakumari, parents of accused Surjith, who had been arrested and suspended by the CB‑CID earlier that year.
The murder unfolded on July 27, 2025 when Surjith, the brother of Kavin Selvaganesh’s girlfriend, hacked the victim to death in broad daylight at KTC Nagar in Tirunelveli. Because Selvaganesh belonged to a Scheduled Caste, the prosecution invoked the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) 2023 and the SC/ST Act.
Justice R. Vijayakumar’s bench found no evidence that the parents had foreknowledge of the crime or participated in a conspiracy. Cell‑tower data, which the prosecution used to suggest the parents met Surjith near the college after the murder, was deemed too vague to prove a physical meeting or a conversation.
The court highlighted that Saravanan arrived at the scene within 16 minutes and informed a police constable that his son had committed the killing—a statement that undermines any claim that he was shielding Surjith. The parents’ earlier warnings and alleged attempts to destroy evidence could not be substantiated.
With the chargesheet quashed, Surjith’s trial will now proceed independently, while the parents are freed from prosecution. Rights groups and political leaders have called for a higher appeal, and state officials are expected to file a petition in the Supreme Court.
The case has rattled the local IT community in Tirunelveli, where many employees, including those who knew Selvaganesh, have expressed horror and called for justice that transcends caste divisions.