COIMBATORE: Suspecting that the Indian Army was transporting arms to be supplied to Sri Lanka, Periyar Dravida Kazhagam (PDK) and MDMK activists blocked and damaged four military trucks, set fire to the clothes of soldiers, and also destroyed the diesel tanks of the vehicles on the Neelambur bypass road, here on Saturday.
Police said five military vehicles, including a civil lorry, were plying on the Neelambur section on Saturday afternoon with a military company, who were reportedly returning to the 110 battalion at Madukkarai after training in Secunderabad.
On Saturday morning, rumours spread that India was supplying arms to the Sri Lankan government and that the arms were being carried by road to Kochi port, from where they would shipped to Colombo. Believing it to be true, the PDK and MDMK activists gathered at the bypass to protest. The activists succeeded in blocking the army vehicles and causing damage to them.
Matters took a different turn as soon as other vehicles of the army arrived. The army men in the first four vehicles also joined the soldiers who came in other vehicles to confront the PDK and MDMK activists. ACP Gopalsamy, who reached the spot to take stock of the situation, was allegedly roughed up by the army men.