A 30-year-old man was fatally knocked down by a state-run mofussil bus bound for Rameswaram in front of the Mattuthavani integrated bus stand in Madurai on Monday. Police said that Arumugam, son of Mariappan of Dindigul district, who in a bid to get a seat in the bus, attempted to board the bus from the front side even as the bus was entering into the bus stand at 3.15 a.m. from Rameswaram. He slipped and fell under the rear tyre of the vehicle and was run over. He died on the spot. Chaos prevailed as there was hectic rush to Rameswaram on account of Ammavasai day and absence of power added to the problem. The TNSTC driver’s name was given as Raja, son of Palanichamy of Manalur, Sivaganga district.
Road blockade
Around 225 residents of Arapalayam resorted to a road blockade in the morning in protest against gutter water mixing with the potable water pipeline near Guru Theatre junction. For well over 30 minutes, the irate public squatted on the road demanding immediate action. Similar protests were also staged by residents of Anupanadi for they too experienced bad smell from the tap water. Womenfolk sought official intervention, especially, in the wake of dengue outbreak, police said.
