Police personnel injured in stone pelting near Madurai

A mob of over 200 people pelted stones at a police team in which five police personnel, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were injured and some police vehicles, a fire tender and an ambulance were damaged near Melur in Madurai in the early hours. Tuesday.

Additional Superintendent of Police.S. A police team led by Vanitha reached the Kottalpatti police range under the Kottampatti police station on Monday midnight when they were reported to have planted the statue of Muthuramalinga Thevar without permission. Local residents had late night installed a five-foot-high cement statue near the village grounds.

When the police officers along with the revenue officers tried to remove the idol, a mob objecting to the removal of the idol suddenly started throwing stones at the police officers.

“One of them switched off the power supply by turning off the transformer,” said a police officer. Using the darkness of the pitch, the mob surrounded the small police force and started throwing stones.

Although the police turned on the power within five minutes, by then the police personnel sustained injuries.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Omachikkulam), Vijayakumar, due to injuries sustained. He has been admitted to a private hospital in Madurai. Other injured include Subhan, a police sub-inspector of Kottampatti, Suthan, a special sub-inspector of police, Palanyappan and two special police constables from Tamil Nadu, Deendayalan and Arunakumar. All the injured have been admitted to the Government Hospital in Melur.

Police said vehicles belonging to ADSP, DSP, a fire tender and an ambulance were damaged in the incident.

Police said the idol was removed and brought to the Melur taluk office.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Madurai), R. Sudhakar and Superintendent of Police Sujit Kumar inspected the crime scene.

Police have picked up 15 suspects in this connection.