Police used force and burst teargas shells to quell a mob of villagers that stormed the Madhagupatti police station and pelted stones on police, after police objected to the villagers organising a ‘communal’ function, defying police permission at Keezhatheru, near here on Monday night.
Though initial reports suggested that the police opened fire in the air, Superintendent of Police Ziaul Haque said that police burst teargas shells only when the villagers attacked the police with stones.
“Police burst two rounds of teargas shells to quell the mob and there was no police firing,” Collector S. Malarvizhi told The Hindu. Eight police personnel, including DSP Balasubramaniam and four villagers, were injured in the violence, the SP said.
Many of those involved were absconding and they would be arrested, the SP said.
Police said trouble broke out around 11 p.m. when the villagers in Keezhatheru who organised the birth anniversary of King Perumpidugu Mutharaiyar, stormed the police station after police objected to organising the function without permission.
Eight police personnel, including a DSP, and four villagers were injured in violence
