Four young men were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the murder of a Dalit man at Udumalpet in Tirupur district on Sunday. Sankar, 22, was allegedly killed for marrying Kausalya, a 19-year-old from a higher caste, eight months ago. The Times of India reported that the Tirupur rural police arrested Jagadeesan, Manikandan, Selvakumar and Madan, who are all believed to be close to Kausalya's father, who surrendered before a judicial magistrate court in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul district on Monday. Kausalya had earlier registered a complaint against her father for threatening the couple.

Furthermore, the National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to Tamil Nadu government regarding Sankar's killing, PTI reported. Besides the state government, the NHRC has also issued a notice to the state director general of police, seeking a report on the matter within four weeks. "The incident raises serious questions relating to the safety of persons belonging to lower castes...The matter was in the knowledge of the police, but it failed to provide them adequate security [sic]," said a statement issued by the commission.

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Sankar was hacked to death by three men on a motorbike in the middle of a street during the day. He was allegedly killed for marrying Kausalya, who comes from the Thevar community, a dominant caste in South India. While Sankar died on his way to the hospital, Kausalya, who was also attacked, is recuperating at a local hospital.

According to a Times of India report, more than 200 people from Sankar's hometown Kumaralingam staged a road block on Monday, demanding that the murderers be arrested. They also demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a job for Kausalya. The police has identified all the attackers, and is interrogating more than 40 relatives of the girl's father. Tirupur rural police has formed six special teams to arrest the accused.