Tamil Nadu Assembly: Group clash, not drugs behind killing of Coimbatore student Amuthan, says Law Minister

Tamil Nadu Law Minister R Nirmalkumar, on Monday (August 17, 2026), told the Legislative Assembly that a group clash between students of an engineering college in Malumichampatti in Coimbatore had led to the recent killing of third-year student Amuthan and that drug use, as alleged by the Opposition, had no role in the killing.

Replying to a special calling attention motion moved by Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and others, the Minister also denied the allegation that Amuthan was killed because he had complained to the police about drug use and that the police had leaked the complaint to drug peddlers, resulting in the killing of Amuthan.

But the DMK members, who entered into an argument with Mr. Nirmalkumar and subsequently with Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Aadhav Arjuna, staged a walkout, saying that they were not satisfied with the Minister’s reply.

Mr. Nirmalkumar explained the problem started when fourth-year students attacked Amuthan and his second-year friends on August 9. Amuthan’s friends retaliated by attacking the fourth-year students the next day (August 10) around 5 a.m. at their rooms in Ottaikalmandapam and Poonga Nagar. They collected their cell phones and escaped in cars and other vehicles.

The injured were treated in a private hospital. Around 8.30 a.m. on the same day, the fourth-year students waylaid Amuthan and his friends and attacked them. One of the students injured in the incident escaped, while they took Amuthan to a ground, continued to attack him and left him in his friend’s room around 10.30 a.m.. As he remained unconscious until 3 p.m., he was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The Minister said two cases were filed under various sections and that the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was subsequently invoked in the case (as Amuthan belonged to the Scheduled Caste). After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to his family on the same day on August 10.

He said a total of 15 persons were arrested in connection with one case and another two in connection with the other case.

Offer of solatium, govt. job to Amuthan’s brother

Mr. Nirmalkumar said the government was closely monitoring the situation. Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu and Backward Classes Minister V. Sampath Kumar met his parents and offered ₹6 lakh in compensation and government job to his brother.

Charge sheet in three months

The Minister also appealed to the Opposition not to link drugs with the case, as it would distort the true nature of the case. “It is purely a case of a vendetta attack. Neither the police nor the government has suppressed any fact in the case. There was no delay on the part of the police in filing cases under various sections, including the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A charge sheet will be filed in three months, and the government will ensure punishment for all those who are involved in the case,” he said.