Six police personnel, including a Sub Inspector and three women constables, were injured in an attack by Pattali Makkal Katchi workers at Indoor check post near Dharmapuri. Eight PMK men were also injured in police lathi-charge after they resorted to violence against revenue and police personnel on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident took place at the spot where the vehicle of Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss was intercepted by the police.
Trouble began when the car of former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss was intercepted by Sub Inspector A. Navaz for security checking at the check post in the afternoon.
Dr. Anbumani got down from the car for security frisking and questioned the police personnel why they did not stop three cars in which State Ministers were travelling.
When they were arguing with the Sub Inspector, about 600 PMK men reached the spot and began damaging the check post. In the skirmish, six police personnel were injured. A revenue photographer who was videographing the incident was also attacked by the PMK workers. The video camera was damaged.
Lathi charge
Mr. Navaz, women constables S. Selvi, M. Malarkodi and K. Deepa and constables P. Saravanan and Udayakumar were injured. The police personnel said they were attacked by the PMK workers when they tried to protect Dharmapuri Tahsildhar Ramadurai Murugan while he was talking to PMK leaders.
Superintendent of Police R. Sudhakar reached the spot and asked the PMK workers to disperse. When they did not heed his appeal, he ordered a lathi-charge.
Eight PMK men were injured, including former Member of Parliament Pari Mohan and have been admitted to Government Medical College Hospital.
P. Periyasamy, PMK Nallampalli Union Secretary, and M. Murugesan, former president, Kettihalli panchayat, sustained head injuries. G. Periyannan, youth wing secretary, Vanniyar Sangam, G.K. Pudur; B. Dadabir, driver of Omalur M.L.A. Tamilarasu; J. Kasturi, State deputy secretary, Vanniyar Sangam, from Tiruvannamalai; S. Rathinam and P. Vadamalaiyan, both from Nagarkoodal in Dharmapuri district, sustained minor injuries.
Sections 147, 148, 341, 353, 332, 323, 294 B, 506 (1), 188 IPC and 3 of Public Property Damage Act have been invoked against Dr. Anbumani, G.K. Mani, Ilavazhagan, Tamilarasu, P. Periyasamy and 150 others on a complaint by Mr. Ramadurai Murugan.
Talking to The Hindu over phone from Chennai, Dr. Anbumani said the SI stopped his car to create a problem and spared the other three cars of PMK leaders, including Mr. Pari Mohan.
He also alleged that the three cars of State Ministers passed through the check post without any security checks and alleged that the DMK was distributing cash and clothes in the constituency.
As a law abiding citizen, he was not against inspecting his car for security reasons, but it should be applicable to everyone irrespective of their posts in the government.
Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said he sought reports from District Collector P. Amutha on the incident.
He also forwarded to her PMK's representations on the alleged discriminatory treatment by the district authorities.
