The Chittoor urban police on Sunday arrested 14 persons in connection with the flash protest at the disbanded flower market area in Church Street on Saturday night, and produced them before the local court, which remanded them.
Chittoor Urban circle inspector Adinarayana said that the arrested were booked under IPC sections 353, 147, 149, 143 and 506 for trespassing into government property and violating the police bandobust norms by resorting to unauthorised protest programme. The arrested included supporters of former MLA C.K. Jayachandra Reddy alias C.K. Babu and flower merchants.
Mr. Babu on Saturday night led a protest in solidarity with the demand of flower merchants to continue their business in the lane adjoining the Apurva Textiles here.
The textiles showroom was destroyed in a fire a couple of months ago and the sheds in the lane too were damaged under the impact. The municipal authorities shut the area, and allowed the flower merchants to run their business at Kongareddipalle locality in the town. Since then, the merchants have been claiming that their business has not been doing well and wanted to reclaim the previous place. However, the protest led to a skirmish between the protesters and TDP leaders and civic staff leading to police action.
