Even as the licence of Vetrivel Explosives Limited was suspended in the wake of an explosion in its premises which claimed 19 lives, the Crime Branch CID on Saturday arrested P. Prakasam, director of Vetrivel Explosives Private Limited and T. Rajagopal, production manager of the firm. Both were later remanded in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, local villagers continued staging road blockades to demand the closure of the unit altogether.
The agitators, who also demanded that compensation to the tune of Rs. 25 lakh be paid to the victims’ families, staged protests throughout the day, throwing traffic out of gear on Thuraiyur-Salem Road.
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Raising slogans, the agitators resorted to road rokos at Koppampatti, Naganallur and T. Murungapatti along Thuraiyur-Thammampatti Road. The villagers placed boulders on the roads leading to the explosives unit at T. Muruganpatti and a few other places, forcing the authorities to suspend bus services to several villages along Thuraiyur-Athoor Road.
At Naganallur, the agitators went as far as setting up a makeshift kitchen along the road to prepare food as they staged a symbolic protest. Though the revenue and police officials conducted several rounds of negotiations, the villagers refused to budge. The agitations continued till late in the evening.