Three arrested after police officer dies following firecracker-video dispute in Theni

Three young men have been arrested after a special sub-inspector of police died following an alleged assault during a dispute over firecrackers and social-media filming in Tamil Nadu's Theni district. The state government has announced compensation of four million rupees for his family.

K. Senthilkumar, 57, was returning home by motorcycle after work on the night of November 8 when he encountered a group blocking the road in Samadharmapuram, near Allinagaram. Police say the group was setting off firecrackers and recording videos for social media, and that an argument began after he asked them to move aside to avoid obstructing residents and motorists.

According to the southern-zone police chief, Senthilkumar tried to record the group on his phone and apprehend one person, when another allegedly struck him with an elbow. Patrol officers took him first to a private hospital and then to Theni Government Medical College Hospital, but he could not be saved.

Police said he had a pre-existing heart condition and that the precise medical cause of death remained under investigation. Officers reviewed CCTV footage from the area before arresting three local men. The arrests do not establish guilt.

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expressed condolences and ordered the compensation payment. Opposition parties criticised the incident as evidence of deteriorating law and order, while demanding greater support for the officer's family. Their wider claims about killings during the holiday were political allegations rather than findings in this investigation.