1. Kalki refers to Manu lineage and manu dharma in a few places. 2. Pazhuvettarayar is keen to put the minor rajadrohis in pathala chirai and sirachchedam for major drohis. 3. In Balakumaran's Udayar, Ravidasan and his associates are thrown out of chola kingdom along withe their families and relatives and their property is seized. 4. Even Kundavai and Arulmozhi do not want to use (or misuse) their power to get Vandiyathevan released. 5. Anirudha Brahmarayar threatens Vanathi with strong arm tactics to make her reveal Arumozhi's hideout. On what basis the village panchayats decided on the punishment - fine, no interaction, or driving out of the village. 6. What was the punishment for minor crimes - theft, fights and for serious crimes - murder, outrage, desecration of common resources (water bodies, temples), spies etc.? Sampath
4 & 5 look fictitious to me, it could very well be Kalki at his best, but never the less - i am sure many are very very interested in the legal system of chola period.
periya pazhu - fictional character balakumar's udayar - the punishment is bases on udayarkudi inscription, we have discussed at length. VT - am yet to see how or why Kalki said in his foot note that VT and Kundavai married after a protracted struggle. The only ref are that are there is Kundavai was more accomplised that her husband, atleast in inscriptions, further we see her inscriptions spread everywhere - maybe indicating that she stayed put in chola desa or VT did not have his own kingdom. some speculation that VT occupied some position in chola governance - as far as i know there is only one inscription which says kundavai the wife of VT. Further, there is some info that VT has two wives ( this is elaborated in Vengaiyin mainthan by sri akilan as well) - but am yet to come across the inscription proof for this.
regarding punishments -
Appar's trials and tribulations show the common ones those days ( Pallava - mahendra times) - frying in a lime klin, crushing your head using elephant, poisoning, drowning.....extreme kazhu etruthal ( forced) eruthal ( voluntary)
there are many sculptures of grave punishments - remember reading a few sculptures depicting them in varalaaru.com archives. One was crushing a man by an elephant ( not using its leg but its head) - the other one was apparently for moral offence - the offender was immobilised and a dog or wolf bit off the offending appendage.