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Mullaperiyar row: Police resort to lathicharge, burst teargas shells
Theni, December 21, 2011
Tension gripped Gudalur and Lower Camp in Theni district bordering Kerala as police resorted to a lathi-charge and burst six tear gas shells as a "Mullaperiyar Dam Retrieval" procession, comprising thousands of people, turned violent today.
The processionists, including women, marched from various villages in Theni district to Kumuli, this evening. Police blocked them enroute to Kumuli. But, the crowd broke the police cordon at Cumbum and Gudalur, and later reached Lower Camp, where a heavy contingent of police blocked the procession.
District Collector K S Palanisamy and Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Rajesh Doss attempted to convince the crowd and requested them to withdraw their procession.
But the surging crowd attempted to force their way to Kumuli, despite several warnings by the police. At one stage the crowd became unruly and pelted stones and wooden logs on the cops, forcing them to resort to lathicharge.
The irate crowd, while retreating, resorted to a road blockade at Gudalur prompting the police to again lathi charge. The protesters retaliated by pelting stones and damaged police vehicles. When the situation went out of control, police burst teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
Several people, including three police personnel were injured in the violent incidents. Twenty two-wheelers, including those of journalists and news photographers, two police vehicles, a press car and a van were damaged in the incidents.
Additional police reinforcement rushed to the trouble-torn areas and restored normalcy. A heavy police contingent was posted along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala borders to prevent further trouble.
Doss told meidapersons that the situation was brought under control.
NNN
