Hours after the Villupuram police department has arrested the two ADMK members on reportedly setting a 14-year-old girl on fire, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party's joint co-ordinator Edappadi Palaniswami said that both men have been expelled from the party and they aren't entitled as the party members.

According to the reports, the decision of expelling the arrested duo was jointly taken by Chief Minister Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam, who is also the Chief Co-ordinator of the ruling party. In their statement, the leaders noted that the action of the duo had defected the dignity of the party. Apart from getting expelled from the posts, the duo had lost their membership in the party, according to the decision of the ruling leaders. 

The arrested members have got expelled from the party after they have been accused of setting a 14-year-old girl on fire. The shocking incident had happened in Villupuram district on Sunday morning where the two ADMK functionaries poured kerosene on the teenage girl and set fire on her. The girl was identified as the daughter of Jayabal, who runs a petty shop in the area. 

விழுப்புரம் - சிறுமதுரையில் சிறுமி ஜெயஸ்ரீ மிருகத்தனமாக கொல்லப்பட்ட செய்தி நெஞ்சை பதற வைக்கிறது. இக்கொடூர செயலை வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறேன். சிறுமியின் குடும்பத்திற்கு எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலை தெரிவித்து கொள்கிறேன். இச்செயலில் ஈடுபட்டுவர்கள் மீது சட்டப்படி கடுமையான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்.

— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) May 11, 2020

She sustained with 95% of burn injuries and was taken to the Villupuram Government Medical College and Hospital in Mundiyambakkam for further treatments. However, the girl was declared dead on Monday morning. The shocking incident spurred strong criticisms from the opposition parties which demanded stern action against the perpetrators. 

The district police department has arrested the two on Monday and they have been identified as 52-year-old Murugan, who is the husband of the former ADMK councilor and 60-year-old Kaliyaperumal who is also the member of the ruling party. Kaliyaperumal has been serving as the party's local secretary while Murugan was the party's representative for the Sirumadurai colony, where the incident took place, near Thiruvennainallur, Villupuram.

The opposition leaders had urged the government to deliver justice for the deceased teenage girl who was a tenth-grade student. While in the treatment, victim Jayasree confessed to the Magistrate that Murugan and Kaliyaperumal had tied her hands, poured kerosene on her and set her on fire. The Villupuram police have arrested the accused based on her statement and booked under various sections for further interrogations. 

The reports stated that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had taken the case in suo moto. The national commission has instructed the Villupuram district collector to conduct a fair investigation on the case and to submit the reports to the commission in seven days. The Chief Minister extended his condolences to the deceased family and assured that proper action would be taken against the perpetrators.

Also read: A 14-year-old TN girl dies after two ADMK cadres set her on fire - What happened?