The murder of a person with a criminal background, Palanisamy alias Naikara Palanisamy (40), at the Mettuppalayam bus stand on Wednesday morning sparked tension. Stones were thrown at shops and buses, causing injuries to three drivers and two conductors and damage to the windscreens of a number of vehicles.
It is learnt that the victim, son of Subban of Karattumedu in Mettuppalayam, was at the bus stand to board a bus for attending the court in connection with a case. Police quoting eyewitness accounts said around 8.30 a.m., a group, led by Tajudeen (28) and Senthil, attacked Palanisamy with knives. Immediately, the relatives and family members of Palanisamy and those living in Karattumedu gathered in large numbers and a group threw stones at shops and buses. This resulted in shopkeepers downing shutters. The windscreens of six buses, two autorickshaws and a tourist van were damaged. Inspector-General of Police, West Zone, P. Sivanandi, Deputy-Inspector General of Police, Coimbatore Range, B. Bala Naga Devi, and Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore, N. Kannan, rushed to Mettuppalayam. He clarified that the incident was a fall-out of a feud between two groups of criminals and there was no communal angle. Police were deployed in large numbers and they marched through the tense area.
The situation was brought under control within an hour. Meanwhile, the family members demanding the immediate arrest of those involved in the murder staged a road roko near the taluk office on the Mettuppalayam–Sirumugai Road and refused to cremate the body. It was taken to the house of the victim by the police. Mr.Kannan told the agitated family members of the victim and residents of Karattumedu residents to proceed with the cremation and give police time to apprehend the accused. After assurances, the tense situation was defused.
Police records show that Palanisamy and Tajudeen were involved in cases of selling arrack and ganja. Palanisamy was arrested in connection with an attack on a police official.
