The district witnessed tense moments at various places on Monday on account of the flash hartal that was observed here.
The hartal was in response to messages circulated through the social media to protest against the Kathua rape and murder case. Several commercial establishments remained closed in the city until early evening.
Chala market
Notably, many shops in the Chala market and other places displayed boards that business would remain suspended until the conclusion of the hartal.
There were also instances in which some shops were forcibly closed by the agitators, especially along Mahatma Gandhi Road and other parts of the city. The supporters of the hartal also engaged in arguments with a few mediapersons as they sought to prevent them from capturing visuals of shops closed in Chalai.
While there were no major incidents of violence, many protesters had to be forcibly removed for obstructing traffic.
Four held
The Cantonment police arrested four people, identified as Muhammed Shan, Rameez, Ayub and Muhammd Nihal of Karakkamandapam, after they attempted to block private vehicles near Palayam.
Two people were arrested by the Balaramapuram police in connection with the alleged vandalism of three autorickshaws. The incident occurred by around 11 a.m. when the protesters had taken out a procession in Balaramapuram town.
While the police have registered a case against 50 identifiable persons, two people, identified as Shanavas and Arif, have been arrested.
As many as eight persons were arrested by the Nedumangad police after they attempted to obstruct buses at the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation depot from commencing their services for the day.
In Vithura, the agitators forcibly closed down shops and were engaged in arguments with a few traders in the area.
There were also incidents of private vehicles including motorcycles being obstructed at Tholicode, near Nedumangad.
