The members of Human Rights Protection Council (HRPC) attempted to lay siege to the Collectorate here on Tuesday morning, demanding the arrest of Madurai Kamaraj University Vice-Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan in a criminal case registered by Nagamalai Pudukottai police.
Around 30 members of the HRPC, including a few women and children, were arrested by the police and detained at a marriage hall.
The University Vice-Chancellor, Registrar (in-charge) A. Muthumanickam, Public Relations Officer (in-charge) Arivalagan, Director of Department of Youth Welfare P. Chelladurai and retired employee of the MKU S.V.K. Selvaraj were named in the FIR registered on a complaint lodged by retired professor and convenor of Save MKU Coalition A. Srinivasan, who had alleged that the university authorities had hired goons to assault him.
Mr. Srinivasan sustained fractures in both arms after being allegedly attacked by two persons near his house at Nagamalai Pudukottai on May 16.
The police arrested two persons in this connection.
During the protest on Tuesday, deputy secretary of the HRPC S. Vanchinathan condemned the “brutal assault” on Mr. Srinivasan, and said he was attacked as he had questioned the alleged irregularities in the university.
“In their confession to the police, the two persons arrested in this connection named DMK functionaries Jayaraman and Saravanan as those who had hired them to assault Mr. Srinivasan. But the duo have been lodged at the MKU guest house,” Mr. Vanchinathan claimed.
He demanded that the police should raid the guest house and arrest all those involved in the assault.
The protests would continue till the Vice-Chancellor and others were arrested, he added.
On Friday last, the members of Save MKU Coalition had submitted a petition at the Collector’s office seeking the arrest of the Vice-Chancellor and other authorities of the MKU in the assault case.
