Violence across Tamil Nadu

Violence erupted across Tamil Nadu soon after the special court in Bangalore held Chief Minister Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption. The protests by AIADMK cadre and sympathisers led to sporadic incidents of violence, even as shops, restaurants, malls and movie halls closed down across the State. Attacks on buses left public transport severely cut.

A State-owned bus was set on fire as an angry mob hurled petrol bombs in Kancheepuram district after forcing the passengers to alight. In other places, protesters forced commercial establishments to down shutters. Amid such reports of escalating violence, Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah summoned the Chief Secretary Mohan Verghese Chunkath, Director General of Police K. Ramanujam and Chennai Commissioner of Police, S. George to Raj Bhavan and instructed them to maintain law and order.

Director-General of Police K. Ramanujam said the situation was under control. Thirty-nine companies of the Tamil Nadu Special Police were deployed across the State. DMK president M. Karunanidhi has written to the President and others accusing the AIADMK cadres of indulging in large scale violence. The police in the State were not in a position to handle the situation and people were living in grip of fear, he said. He also sought action againt erring police officials.