Pacherry shuns polls, seeks probe into murder

RAMANATHAPURAM: It was a wait in vain for the returning officer and other election officials at the polling stations in M Pacherry village near Mandalamanickam. No one came to vote, though the village had 890 voters. The residents boycotted polls after their repeated attempts to get justice in a murder case and representations seeking basic amenities, including roads and drinking water supply, fell into deaf ears.Palanikumar, a school student of Pacherry, was murdered when he was returning home on September 9. Since then, tension prevailed in the village with Dalits seeking a CBI probe into the case.“We have not been provided any basic facilities. Also the real accused in the murder case are yet to be arrested,” said  Pacherry resident Nagaraj.   “A tahsildar was sent to the village to persuade them to vote, but it did not work out,”  District Collector Arun Roy told Express.