TIRUCHY: As many as 16 people were arrested on Thursday in connection with a community clash that broke out on the last day (Wednesday) of the annual festival of Mahamariamman temple at Varatharahapuram in Thottiyam taluk. Four houses belonging to SC community were vandalised, said sources.
The four-day annual festival began on Sunday. On Wednesday, a clash broke out between members of a caste Hindu community and SC community during a car procession taken out through the streets of Varatharahapuram. Members of both communities pelted each other with stones.
Tiruchy SP Sujith Kumar and DSP M A Yasmin held talks with both the communities. The deity was taken back to the temple, while the temple car was abandoned on the street. On the next day, a peace talk was organised by Musiri RDO Madhavan and DSP Yasmin.
Later, members of SC community filed a case at Thottiyam station accusing 13 members of caste Hindu community of physical assault. Caste Hindus accused nine members of SC community of assault and verbal abuse. Eight persons from each of the communities were arrested by Thottiyam police. Investigation is on.