CHENNAI: Violence broke out in several districts across the State on Tuesday following LTTE chief V Prabhakaran’s killing in the ethnic war in Sri Lanka. Several government buses were damaged in stone throwing incidents and shops downed their shutters for the second consecutive day.
In Chennai, eight men from Puzhal refugee camp were arrested for allegedly setting ablaze an MTC bus and breaking the windscreen of two others at Red Hills. The refugees assembled opposite a private engineering college on GNT Road. Before the police could spot them, they set fire to a bus and pelted stones at other vehicles passing through the road. No one was injured, as the protesters asked the passengers to disembark before setting the bus afire, police sources said.
The eight men, Kanakaraj (28), Charles (26), Dinesh Kumar (21), Nirmal Raj (21), Rajesh Kumar (20), Selva Mohan (20), Dhanushan (20) and Lakshyananthan (19), were arrested by the police.
In Cuddalore district, more than 20 government buses were damaged in stone throwing incidents at Pallipadai, Chidambaram, Pinnalur, Nagampandhal, Alappakkam and other places.
Shops remained closed for the second day on Tuesday in several places, including Manjakuppam and Pudhupalayam.
There was heavy deployment of police personnel outside the offices of political parties. Police also stepped up vigil at refugee camps. An MDMK worker, Prakasam (53), of Vengampatti village in the district attempted self-immolation on Monday after hearing news of the rebel leader’s death.
In Salem district, 26 activists of Tamil Eelam Atharavu Munnani were arrested for allegedly pelting stones at two government buses near new bus stand.
In other incidents, three buses were damaged.
In Nilgiris district, shops remained closed for the second day in the Sri Lankan repatriates- dominated areas of Gudalur, Pandalur and Kotagiri belts. The repatriates, mostly labourers in private tea estates and the State Government-owned Tea Plantation Corporation, stayed away from work. The protesters burnt the effigy of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Shopkeepers downed shutters in Kotagiri, Aravenu, Kil-Kotagiri and Sholurmattam.
In Tiruvarur, the glass panes of two STC buses were damaged in a stone-throwing incident near Peralam on Monday night.