The situation in Ponnamaravathi and neighbouring villages in Pudukottai district continued to remain tense on Saturday following violent incidents over the last two days which were sparked by an audio clip containing allegedly derogatory comments made by two unidentified persons against the Mutherayar community.
The clip had gone viral on social media.
The police booked a case under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act against 1,000 unidentified persons in connection with the violence.
On Saturday, sporadic protests by groups of Mutherayars continued in the district in the form of road blockades, though there were no reports of violence.
Protesters resorted to road blockades at various places including Illupur, Kadiapatti, Annavasal, Aranthangi, Gandharvakottai and Thanjavur-Pudukottai Road. Police and revenue officials said the situation was under control.
“Road blockades were reported from 20 places in the district, but all the protests were withdrawn quickly,” Collector P. Uma Maheswari told The Hindu. She ordered all TASMAC liquor shops and bars to remain shut on Saturday and Sunday. “The liquor shops will remain closed in view of the law and order problem,” Ms. Maheswari said in a statement.
While reports from some parts of the district suggested that bus services remained curtailed in view of the agitations on Saturday, officials said most services resumed later in the day. Ms.Maheswari said bus services were curtailed only for some time in the morning, but started plying after 10 a.m.
“All the 400-odd buses of the TNSTC in the district were operating, except about 20 services plying to interior places around Ponnamaravathi,” she said.
The authorities had already clamped prohibitory orders on the Ponnamaravathi taluk in view of violence during which at least seven vehicles, including police jeeps were damaged in stone pelting.
Ten injured
About 10 persons, including three policemen, were reported injured. A mob laid siege to the Ponnamaravathi Police Station on Thursday night demanding the arrest of two unidentified persons who had abused the community, especially its women.
A separate case has been registered under the two unidentified persons under Sec.67 of the IT Act and IPC Sec.504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).
Reports from Ponnamaravathi indicated that normalcy was returning slowly to the town as some shops were opened on Saturday afternoon.