Theni Superintendent of Police V. Baskaran was injured in the eye when villagers threw stones on policemen late on Friday night.
He is undergoing treatment at the Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai, and may have to be in the hospital for a few more days as doctors think the injury is serious.
Villagers from Saruthupatti staged a road blockade after a fight between two persons. A large posse of police, led by Mr. Baskaran, rushed to the hamlet. On seeing the police, the villagers pelted them with stones.
In the melee, the SP was injured in the eye.
The men in khaki rushed the profusely bleeding officer to the Theni Government Medical College Hospital, where doctors suggested that he be taken to the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai.
When the team brought the officer to Madurai past midnight, a panel of senior doctors said Mr. Baskaran had suffered injuries around his eye and the lower cheek bone area. Later, he was taken to Aravind Eye Hospitals.
DIG of Police (Dindigul Range) Nirmal Kumar Joshi said the situation at Saruthupatti was under control. “We are in the process of arresting the persons who indulged in violence last night. Adequate personnel are on bandobust in the hamlet,” he said. While the men at Saruthupatti village fled their homes apprehending trouble from the police. women and children remained in their dwellings.
As a precautionary measure, 350 personnel have been deployed. Cases have been booked against the villagers.
IGP (south zone) K P Shanmuga Rajeshwaran is camping in the town.
Petty issue
A petty issue between two persons had snowballed into a major law and order problem, the police said.
A Dalit, identified as Vairamuthu, allegedly rode his bike in a rash manner on June 11.
Murali, who runs an electricals shop in NRT Nagar in Theni and a resident of Lakshmipuram, an intermediate caste area, got into an argument.
The police said Vairamuthu went to his village and brought a few youth who roughed up Murali and two other women, who were waiting at the bus stop.
While Murali was admitted in the Theni government hospital, villagers from Lakshmipuram demanded action against Vairamuthu and four others and staged demonstration on June 12.
Meanwhile, Murali’s wife Revathi lodged a complaint with the Thenkarai police.
As the issue began to acquire a casteist overtone, a police team led by Periakulam DSP Arumugam pacified the villagers to disperse when they blocked traffic. Two youth who were videographing the demonstrators were roughed up. Demanding action, residents of Saruthupatti resorted to road blockade on Friday night. It is when the SP rushed to the spot with his team, the villagers pelted him with stones.
OPS function
As Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was to preside over a government function here on Saturday, the police did not want any law and order problem. Therefore, the SP went to Saruthupatti to pacify the villagers on Friday night but the situation went out of control and he got injured, police sources said.
CPI (M) former MLA A Lazar said the police were keen on according bandobust to the Deputy CM than solving the issues faced by the Dalits.
