The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State to file a counter affidavit to the public interest litigation petition seeking a CB-CID probe into the alleged caste killing of a Scheduled Caste youth, Hariharan, of Pudukkottai district.

A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and C. Kumarappan directed the police not to file the final report before the trial court till further orders. The matter was posted for hearing after two weeks for filing of the counter affidavit.

The court was hearing the petition filed by K. Muruganandam of Vallathirakottai in Pudukkottai district, the District Coordinator of Neelam Panpattu Maiyam. He said Hariharan was in a relationship with a woman belonging to an intermediate caste. The woman’s family opposed the relationship.

In November 2025, the two had eloped. Following a complaint, the police warned them and sent them back to their homes. The woman’s family members threatened Hariharan. However, no protection was given to him. His family was under constant threat and psychological distress, the petitioner said.

The woman’s family was trying to marry her off forcibly. On April 21, 2026, Hariharan reportedly left his house after receiving a call from the woman about the forced marriage. On April 23, his body was found in a quarry with injury marks, he said.

The petitioner said the nature of the injuries and the surrounding circumstances gave rise to a strong and reasonable suspicion of homicide. Given the sensitivity of the case and the apparent bias of the jurisdictional police, a fair and impartial investigation was necessary. The petitioner sought a CB-CID probe into the death of the youth, appropriate compensation to the family and employment to a family member.