A 38-year-old Dalit woman was found murdered with grievous head injuries inside a cardboard packaging unit in Enathur, near Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram, on the evening of July 5. The victim, Selvi—also known as Hepsy—was from Andi Siruvallur village and had started working at the facility just a week earlier.
As per police accounts, Selvi was bludgeoned with a metal rod. Her ornaments, including a thaali (sacred necklace), gold earrings, and chain, weighing nearly six sovereigns, were reportedly missing from the scene.
Selvi had left for her shift on Saturday morning but didn’t return home. Concerned, her husband, Suresh, along with relatives, began looking for her. On reaching the factory, they encountered a worker named Senthil, who was allegedly in an inebriated state outside the building.
Getting no proper explanation from him, the family searched the premises and tragically discovered Selvi’s body concealed among discarded cardboard scraps inside the godown. Officers from Ponnerikkarai police station arrived soon after, and the body was sent for autopsy to the Kancheepuram Government Hospital.
Preliminary findings ruled out sexual assault. Investigators are examining whether the motive was robbery or if there were deeper reasons behind the crime. Officials are also probing if someone within the unit was involved or if an outsider trespassed.
Factory owner Praveen Kumar and another worker are currently being interrogated. Senthil, however, has gone absconding since the incident. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being reviewed. Dalit rights groups have called for an impartial and thorough probe.