The Puduchatram police have arrested four persons on the charge of hurling Molotov cocktails at a police team that tried to arrest them while they were stealing scrap from an abandoned petroleum refinery at Periyakuppam on Wednesday.
The arrested have been identified as K. Jagadeesan; R. Vijay, 25; P. Nargunam, 50; and K. Prabhakaran, 22.
A police team rushed to Nagarjuna Oil Corporation Limited (NOCL) when they heard about the presence of the gang in the area. On seeing the police, the gang members, including the four, hurled six Molotov cocktails at them and fled. Three of the devices exploded near the team. However, no one was injured.
Following the incident, a special team conducted searches at Periyakuppam and nabbed the four. They were produced before a local court and remanded in custody.
Cases were booked against them under Indian Penal Code Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 451 (house trespass in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 384 (punishment for extortion), read with Section 91 (b) of the Explosive Substances Act.
