Madurai: Delivery of verdict in the Disproportionate Assets case against the former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others on Tuesday that convicted the AIADMK general secretary, V.K. Sasikala, and her two relatives, did not create any tension in the city.
Normal life was in no way affected though the city police suspecting disruption had intensified vigil and detained anti-social elements on Sunday. The police had provided security to the residences of all the ruling party MLAs and the Lok Sabha MP.
However, the number of vehicles plying on the road during the peak hour morning traffic before the delivery of judgement was relatively less.
Meanwhile, the office of Madurai urban district unit of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Panangal Road wore a deserted look with a handful number of police personnel posted outside the office.
The unit presidium chairman, Duraipandi, arrived alone just before 10.30 a.m. Within a few minutes as the television channels flashed the news of the Apex Court order, cadres of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, led by its leader, ‘Agri’ Ganesan, burst crackers and distributed sweets to the public hailing the verdict a few yards away from the AIADMK office.
The cadres said that the verdict was a lesson to all political leaders.
Meanwhile, the sound of bursting crackers close to the AIADMK office brought a handful number of AIADMK cadres out of their office. The police also rushed towards the spot, however, an auto-driver said that two persons who had come on a motorbike set the crackers afire and fled the scene.
Unlike in the past, when the judgement in the same case was delivered twice — first by the Special Court in Bengaluru and the Karnataka High Court, the cadres, including Corporation councillors, had gathered in large numbers, only the former Corporation councillor, S.T. Jayabalan, was seen on the spot.
Meanwhile, cadres owing allegiance to Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam faction burst crackers in different parts of the rural police limits, the police said.
In Virudhunagar district too, crackers were burst by Deepa Peravai cadres at Sivakasi and Rajapalayam. The former AIADMK town secretary Sanjeevirajan also led cadres in bursting crackers and distributing sweets.
