TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed at Nadupatti on the Tiruchy - Dindigul national highway on Wednesday night when locals chased down a car with five youth, including a Hindu Munnani functionary, for allegedly abducting a girl and her father because he shot down his marriage proposal.
Police said Kulanthaivelu (27) of Kuppakkoundampatti near Manapparai is a Hindu Munnani functionary. Recently he approached Ganapathy of Nadupatti with a proposal to marry his 19-year-old daughter. But Ganapathy refused.
On Wednesday night, Kulanthaivelu abducted the girl and her father with help from his friends - Dinesh (25), Clement Surya (19), Kirubakaran (22) and Chellapandi (22) of Manapparai. The incident took place when the father-daughter duo was on their way home. The gang approached them on the pretext of asking direction for and kidnapped them.
On hearing their cries, locals chased the car. Even as the chase played out in filmi style on the Tiruchy-Dindigul national highway, locals in neighbouring Keeranur village were informed and they placed logs across the road. The van hit a log and toppled and Ganapathy and his daughter were rescued.
The gang tried to flee, but the villagers managed to catch hold of Dinesh, Clement Surya and Kirubakaran. Vaiyampatti police rushed to the spot and pacified the angry mob, which had thrashed the trio. Locals then blocked the road demanding arrest of the duo, which affected traffic for nearly half an hour. Police took them into custody and booked all five under various IPC sections.
Thrashed by public
Villagers caught hold of the gang which tried to flee and thrashed them. Police took the gang into custody and booked them under section including 366, 294 (b), 506 (ii), 146, 147 and 323