Nine convicted for killing seven in 2012 petrol bomb attack in Madurai

The District and Sessions Court in Karur on Monday (March 23, 2026) convicted nine accused on the charge of murdering seven persons by hurling petrol bombs on their vehicle while they were returning to Madurai after attending the Thevar Guru pooja in October 2012. Two other accused, however, had died during the course of the trial.

The attack was carried out in Avaniyapuram police station limits in Madurai when a group of persons was returning in a vehicle after attending the Thevar Guru Puja event in Ramanathapuram district on the night of October 30, 2012. Seven persons, Jayapandi, Sundarapandi, Vetrivel, Desingaraj, Ranjith Kumar, Vishnu alias Vishnupriyan and Sivaraman, were killed in the attack and 13 others were injured.

The Avaniapuram police had registered a case under various sections of the IPC sections including 302 (murder) and under the Explosive Substances Act and named 13 persons, including two juveniles, as accused. 

The trial was conducted before the Karur District and Sessions Court following a direction from the Madras High Court. Two of the accused Ramar Pandi and Muthu Vijayan were murdered during trial. The legal proceedings against the juveniles was taken up separately.

The quantum of sentence is to be pronounced by the court later.