TENKASI: Condemning the ‘police attack’ on Murugan, a van driver from a scheduled caste, who died on Friday night, over 2,000 people from more than 20 villages staged a road blockade in Sankarankovil on Tuesday.
The protesters demanded the arrest of three police personnel who allegedly stamped Murugan on the chest, and raised slogans against the police and the state government. As major roads in the town were blocked by the protesters, police diverted traffic through alternate routes. Shops were also shut in many areas.
Murugan’s relatives had refused to receive his body from the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital after autopsy.
Meanwhile, Puthiya Tamilagam leader Dr K Krishnasamy, in a statement, alleged that a DMK minister is attempting to pacify Murugan’s family to collect his body, assuring them Rs 15 lakh.
“What happened to Murugan is gross injustice to a major community in south Tamil Nadu. If the ruling party intervenes to protect the police personnel, we will stage protest across the state and take the matter to the state HR panel and the Supreme Court,” he said.
The state has transferred the case to the CB-CID.