TIRUVANNAMALAI: As many as 21 farmers, including farmer leader Arul Arumugam, who were arrested allegedly in a false case in Tiruvannamalai for opposing the soil theft from Malappampadi lake, were released on bail from Vellore Central Prison on Sunday. After their release, fellow farmers belonging to the Uzhavar Urimai Iyakkam (Farmers Rights Movement) welcomed them by draping green shawls and raising slogans condemning the government. The farmers were granted conditional bail on Saturday, requiring them to sign at the Polur police station twice a day for 15 days.
Post release, Arul said that they were planning to continue their protest through legal means. "We had lodged complaints on the issue with multiple officials including Tiruvannamalai collector, district revenue officer (DRO), tahsildar, city commissioner, among others. A negotiation meeting was held by the DRO to dissuade the protest, during which the organisation demanded that cases be registered against those involved in the soil theft. However, there was no response to our demands. All the officials have colluded to protect the people behind the soil theft," he said.
Meanwhile, speaking to TNIE, Tiruvannamalai collector K Tharpagaraj on Sunday said that a petition was received from the farmers and that he has directed DRO R Ramapradeepan to carry out an investigation. The DRO was not available for a comment.
The farmers had alleged that the soil was illegally being taken from the Malappambadi lake to level and lay the roads for the DMK Youth Wing Northern Zone meeting held on December 14. The Uzhavar Urimai Iyakkam had submitted a plea to the Tiruvannamalai collector regarding the issue.
However, as no proper action was taken, the farmers group had announced a protest on December 14, the day when Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin were expected to attend the DMK meeting. The Polur police hence arrested 23 people, including 21 farmers from their homes as a preventive measure around 4 am on December 14, and they were booked for allegedly spreading false information and using obscene language against police personnel. Of the 23 arrested, two were released by the magistrate, while the remaining 21 were remanded to Vellore Central Prison.