Anti-liquor protests took an ugly turn here when the police chased, kicked and lathi charged students of a city college who ransacked a government-run liquor shop on Harrington Road on Monday.
Television visuals of policemen caning the students, and some senior officers kicking women protesters who were lying on the road caused public outrage. Opposition leaders condemned the police “brutality.”
The day began in a protest mood at Pachaiyappa’s College on Poonamalee High Road when a student’s wing decided to carry forward the protest, which was gathering momentum across the State. The students targeted the Tasmac shop nearby. Some of them pelted the shop with stones at while others barged in and broke liquor bottles. The bar attached to the shop was also damaged, the police said.
“Around 12.30 p.m, the students suddenly appeared in front of the shop and started throwing stones and bottles at us. The police arrived at the spot soon and chased them away,” said a Tasmac employee. He claimed that some students took away liquor bottles in their bags.
“Some policemen picked up stones on the road and threw them at the students,” said L. Suresh, a motorist.
Within minutes, the students were nabbed and kept in a van in the college, and after a while they were taken to an undisclosed location. The police arrested 25 youths, including six women, who reportedly damaged the liquor shop. Of them, 15 have were arrested under eight IPC sections and remanded in judicial custody, a senior officer said, adding only one was a student of the college.
Meanwhile, nine students of Madras University who took part in the protest since Monday morning were arrested.
Three members of Tamil Nadu Madhu Kudipor Vizhipunarvu Iyakkam who protested on Anna Salai and two supporters of Gandhian activist Sasi Perumal were arrested. Eleven protesters from Kancheepuram district unit of Satta Panchayat Iyakkam were taken into custody for organising a fast.
Published - August 04, 2015 07:45 am IST
