T.Muruganantham

T. Muruganantham was a 42-year-old advocate and disability rights activist from Tamil Nadu who tragically became a victim of violence before he could contest the election. On July 29, 2025, Muruganantham was brutally hacked to death in Dharapuram following a long-standing property dispute with his paternal uncle, R. Dhandapani, who ran Thenmalar Matriculation Higher Secondary School. The dispute escalated when Muruganantham took legal action to address illegal constructions and safety violations at the school, leading to a court-ordered resurvey of the premises. When he attended the resurvey, he was ambushed and murdered. Muruganantham's legal career was marked by his commitment to disability rights and social justice. His own experience with the justice system shaped his activism—in February 2020, he was falsely arrested and imprisoned in a property dispute involving his aged mother and his uncle Dhandapani. During his incarceration, he fought for the rights of prisoners with disabilities, ultimately securing a landmark Supreme Court order that came to be known as the 'Muruganantham Doctrine.' This legal precedent established important protections for prisoners with disabilities across India. The brutality of his murder shocked Tamil Nadu, with seventeen individuals arrested in connection with the crime, including his uncle Dhandapani, associate N. Nattudurai, and aide S. Dakshinamoorthy. The Tiruppur District Collector invoked the Goondas Act—typically reserved for habitual or dangerous offenders—against the primary accused, indicating the severity of the crime. All arrested individuals are currently lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison. Voters should be aware that this affidavit appears to be filed for a candidate who is deceased and cannot serve if elected. The tragic circumstances of Muruganantham's death, occurring during a legal battle against powerful interests, raise serious questions about the protection of activists and the timing of this candidacy. His legacy remains as an advocate who fought for the marginalized, but his murder underscores the dangers faced by those who challenge entrenched interests in property and institutional disputes.