THOOTHUKUDI: Though arguments are common during a bargain, the one the Thittankulam vegetable market witnessed on Thursday went too far, ending up in a fight, followed by the police registering a case against six people.
According to sources, the run-up to the fight started when Qualis Raja approached a trader, Maharajan, and demanded one-kilogram tomatoes for Rs 10 instead of Rs 110 quoted by the trader. “When Maharajan resisted the wild attempt at bargaining, an argument broke out between the two. In the melee, Maharajan assaulted Raja, following which, Raja arrived with some of his friends and attacked Maharajan and other traders,” sources added. Based on a complaint, the Kovilpatti East police registered a case against five people, including Raja and Maharajan.
Sources further said the incident is also suspected to have a communal background. “The traders of the Kovilpatti Muthuramalinga Thevar daily market have been temporarily located at the new bus stand premises along the Madurai-Tiunelveli NH, as the market was being reconstructed. Meanwhile, a section of the traders had purchased lands at Thittankulam and set up 33 shops without proper approval from the district and civic bodies. Despite appeals to shut down the market, the authorities did not pay heed,” sources added.