Police used mild force to disperse a group of agitating Sri Lankan refugees at their camp at Thoppukollai near here on Wednesday, following denial of police permission for conducting the ‘noothana ashtabandha kumbabhishekam’ of Sri Sakthi Vinayagar Temple at the refugee camp on Thursday.
Police denied permission on the grounds that the ritual could be utilised as a cover for observing the 60 birth anniversary of V.Prabhakaran, the slain leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
After talks with the representatives of the refugees and the Sivachariars who had planned to perform the ‘kumbabhishekam’, the police, in the early hours of Wednesday, had reportedly obtained, in writing, their consent to postpone the religious ritual to Monday.
Agitated over the postponement and the suspension of today’s yaga salai pujai, a cross of section of refugees at the camp resorted to ‘road roko’ for about half-an-hour on the Alangudi-Pudukottai highway disrupting vehicular traffic.
Balaguru, Deputy Superintendent of Police, rushed to the spot and attempted to pacify them. As the persuasive measures did not yield the desired results, baton-wielding policemen resorted to use of mild force to disperse them.
A total of 84 persons, including 42 women, were taken into preventive custody.
E.S.Uma, Superintendent of Police, also visited the village.
According to sources, the ‘kumbabhishekam’ stands postponed .