Tamil Nadu Assembly: Group clash, not drugs behind killing of Coimbatore student Amuthan, says Law Minister
Tamil Nadu Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar stated in the Legislative Assembly that the death of student K. Amuthan was caused by a group clash rather than drug-related issues. The opposition party staged a walkout, expressing dissatisfaction with the government's explanation of the incident.
Why it matters
The incident underscores political tensions in the state assembly regarding law and order, student safety, and the alleged prevalence of drug culture.
Tamil Nadu Law Minister R Nirmalkumar, on Monday (August 17, 2026), told the Legislative Assembly that a group clash between students of an engineering college in Malumichampatti in Coimbatore had led to the recent killing of third-year student K. Amuthan (19) and that drug use, as alleged by the Opposition, had no role in the killing.
Replying to a special calling attention motion moved by Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and others, the Minister also denied the allegation that Amuthan was killed because he had complained to the police about drug use and that the police had leaked the complaint to drug peddlers, resulting in the killing of Amuthan.
But the DMK members, who entered into an argument with Mr. Nirmalkumar and subsequently with Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Aadhav Arjuna, staged a walkout, saying that they were not satisfied with the Minister’s reply.
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