VIRDHUNAGAR: Tension prevailed in Rajapalayam after 300 residents from Somaiyapuram and Malayapuram villages staged a protest on Mudangiyar road on Tuesday morning, demanding the arrest of four persons who attacked a youth at Malayapuram on Monday and later entered the village with sickles, threatening them.
Owing to the situation, several educational institutions declared a holiday on Tuesday. According to sources, on Monday evening, a dispute arose between Amarnath (22) and three of his friends Kartheeswaran, Arunkumar, and Selvam with a few youth in Malayapuram over careless driving. Following the dispute, the youth fled to the village.
Meanwhile, Amarnath and his friends attacked Sathish, a resident of the Somaiyapuram village. “They also went to Malayapuram and threatened using sickles. After the residents in the village who witnessed the incident yelled at the four, they fled the spot,” sources said.
Later, the villagers staged a protest demanding the arrest of the four persons stating that the residents’ safety was under threat. Rajapalayam North Police arrested the four under various sections 341, 294 (b),324, 506 (ii), following which the villagers dispersed. The four were later produced before a magistrate and were granted bail on Monday night. Knowing this, the villagers again staged a protest on Tuesday morning, demanding their arrest.
Officials from the Revenue and Police Department held a series of talks with the villagers. However, since no amicable solutions were reached, around 15 protestors were arrested and then lodged at a private wedding hall. “Since the protest lasted from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., the public was deeply affected, and several educational institutions in the locality declared a holiday,” sources said adding that the protestors were then released.