SALEM: Actor and Chief Coordinator of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Seeman and functionaries of Communist Party of India (CPI) were arrested for organising a meeting with farmers on the proposed Greenfield Expressway Corridor (GEC) without obtaining permission on Wednesday.
The Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam State Secretary Durai Manickam and CPI functionaries jointly organised a public hearing with farmers at Ariyanoor. After knowing the farmers grievances, they headed to Salem. However, they were stopped by the city police when they were near Seelanaickenpatti.
The police told them that they have conducted the meeting without permission and were asked to come to the Annathanapatti police station. Agitated by this, the CPI cadre picked up a fight with the police. This led to the arrest of 11 functionaries. Later, they were released on bail in the evening.
Similarly, the NTK Chief Coordinator Seeman had also organised a meeting with farmers at Parapatti village near Mallur in the district. When he was receiving the farmers views about the proposed project, Mallur police came to the spot and had asked them to disperse as they had not got permission. This led to fight between the police and NTK cadre. Following this, Seeman and 10 NTK cadre were arrested despite the efforts of the villagers to stop them. They have lodged them at a marriage hall. Later, they were released in the evening on bail, a source said.