TIRUNELVELI
Two suspects in the petrol bomb attack on Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder B. John Pandian’s house in Palayamkottai on Sunday night have been picked up by Tirunelveli City police.
The police have also arrested seven others suspected to be close associates of the duo during a vehicle check.
The police said three unidentified persons, who lobbed petrol bombs at the house of Mr. John Pandian, managed to escape after abandoning the two-wheeler they were riding. The police found that the vehicle was owned by one Balamurugan.
As the police picked up Balamurugan of Manur on Sunday night for interrogation, he told them that two of his friends had gone to Tirunelveli on his bike and he was not aware of what happened there.
Then, the police picked up the two youth for interrogation. The duo reportedly confessed to the police that they lobbed the petrol bombs at the house of Mr. John Pandian on the instruction of the youth wing leader of a Dalit outfit.
“After the murder of Devendrakula Vellalar Koottamaippu founder C. Pasupathi Pandian in Dindigul in 2012, new office-bearers were recently appointed for the outfit and a history-sheeter from Chathramputhukkulam near Thatchanallur in the city has become the youth wing office-bearer. Since he has developed rivalry with Mr. John Pandian, his supporters lobbed petrol bombs at his house,” a police officer privy to the investigation said.
Meanwhile, Melapalayam police, during a vehicle check at Kulavanigarpuram on Sunday night, nabbed one ‘Estate’ Mani of Chathramputhukkulam and six of his supporters, who were carrying lethal weapons, when they tried to cross the spot on three bikes. They were the supporters of the newly elected youth wing office-bearer of the Dalit outfit.
When they resisted the attempts of the police to nab them, a police patrol team rushed to the spot and overpowered them. They were arrested and later remanded in judicial custody.
