TIRUNELVELI : Around 100 members of the MBC community staged a road blockade on the Sankarankovil - Tirunelveli road on Wednesday, alleging that two sub-inspectors and a few constables attached to the Devarkulam police station foisted false cases against them. In a bid to condemn the same, residents of Vannikonenthal and Devarkulam villages planned on staging a protest, led by their community leader Esakki Raja, near the police station.
As many as 200 police personnel were also deployed at both villages to prevent any untoward incidents, and Raja was arrested. Hearing about his arrest, the protesters staged a road blockade on the Sankarankovil - Tirunelveli road. Although the personnel tried to pacify the protesters, the latter did not disperse, causing traffic bottleneck. Then, personnel from Manur, Thalaiyuthu and Gangaikondan police stations forcibly removed the protesters and arrested them.
During the protest, the Vannikonenthal panchayat vice president Valli Nayagam fainted on the road. He was sent to the Manur Primary Health Centre. Those arrested were detained at a marriage hall till evening.