Unidentified persons torched the office of the Village Administrative Officer in Kollahalli village in Dharmapuri district in the early morning on Wednesday.
Police sources said the suspects hurled kerosene-filled bottles into the VAO’s office through a window and set it on fire. A few documents were gutted, but the loss was minimal.
Protesting against the arrest of PMK founder leader Ramadoss and its Youth Wing Leader Anbumani Ramadoss, a call for general strike was given in the name of an association of several castes through notices, which were pasted in public places on Tuesday night. Police sources said that fearing violence several shops were closed in Dharmapuri town. Some tea shops opened in the morning, but downed shutters later fearing violence. Sources said even pharmacies were forced to closed down. The notices pasted across the town were removed by the police.
PMK leaders said the strike call was not given by them or Vanniyar Sangam.
Cuddalore reporter writes:
Judicial Magistrate-II Prabhavathi on Wednesday issued Prisoner Transit Warrant against PMK president G.K.Mani in a case related to the clash with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supporters and attack on police personnel.
The Magistrate directed the police to produce Mr. Mani before the court on Thursday. He is lodged in Tiruchi Central Prison for having defied police orders at Villupuram on April 30. On that day he was arrested along with party founder S.Ramadoss.
On January 25, PMK cadre, led by Mr Mani, laid siege to the Collector’s Camp Office here seeking to lift the ban on entry of Dr Ramadoss into Cuddalore. At that time AIADMK supporters led by Murugumaran, MLA, were staging a demonstration in front of the head post office (across the road where the PMK cadre had assembled) decrying the anti-people policies of the Centre.
Meanwhile, some unidentified elements threw stones into the AIADMK gathering. When the groups started clashing some police personnel sustained injuries. A case was filed in the Cuddalore New Town Police Station against Mr Mani.
