Opposing the ban on Bus Day celebrations, a group of students of Pachaiyappa's College on Thursday targeted two MTC buses plying on Poonamallee High Road, following which four commuters, including a child, sustained minor injuries. Six policemen were also injured.
“There was a shower of stones, bottles and sticks on the Poonamallee High Road as I was waiting at the bus stop. Students were throwing them from behind the walls of the college, and we were terrified,” said A. Manimekalai, a bystander.
According to police sources, students who were travelling on a bus were asked by police personnel not to celebrate the bus day. “Following this many of them went inside the college and gathered more students, who began throwing bricks and stones. Around 14 have been arrested and remanded in police custody,” said S.N. Seshasai, Joint Commissioner of Police. The principal P.Kandaswamy said that all the students will be immediately suspended from the college.
In the morning a meeting was called by Mr.Seshasai requesting students to remain peaceful and not to damage public property. “We went to classes spoke to students and stuck posters against holding any celebrations,” said Mr. Kandaswamy. The college will remain closed indefinitely, he added.
It was a week back that students of the Government Arts College, Nandanam hijacked an MTC bus in an attempt to celebrate bus day.