The city police arrested three members of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) on the charge of pelting stones and damaging a lamp on a compound wall of the Sri Sankara Mutt branch at Maravaneri in the city on Tuesday.
Police sources said that the trio riding a two-wheeler pelted stones on the compound wall, pulled down a banner and fled.
The incident was said to be an aftermath of the visit of Rama Rajya Rath Yatra to the State, desecration of the statue of Periyar in Pudukottai and the arrest of the leaders of various political parties.
The Hasthampatti police swung into action and arrested three persons, P. Krishnan (38) of Nangavalli, organiser, Salem district unit of the DVK; G. Rajendran (37) of Veerakkalpudur, president of the Nangavalli town unit of the DVK; and T. Manoj (30), vice-president of the Nangavalli town unit of the party.
Cases under Section 3 (1) of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act (committing an offence by fire or explosive) read with Section 506 (ii) IPC (criminal intimidation) were registered against them, police sources said. Following the incident, police pickets were posted on the Sankara Mutt branch premises.
