Coimbatore: Man held for setting tyres on fire in front of temples

COIMBATORE: Police on Sunday arrested the man who set tyres on fire in front of four temples in the district – three in the city and one on the outskirts - in the early hours of Saturday.
The cops had identified G Gajendran (48) of Pallapatti in Salem district, through CCTV footages.
Police said the man does not belong any outfit as Hindu outfits had alleged that it was the handiwork of 'anti – Hindus’
The accused family members in Salem have told the police that he had left home on Friday following a quarrel.
He has the practice of setting fire to similar items whenever there was a quarrel, police said citing his family members.
The preliminary inquiry revealed that after setting tyres on fire, Gajendran did not return home and he was not using a mobile phone. However, the city police collected information about him from his kin.
The cops circulated photographs of the accused to their counterparts in Tirupur, Erode and Salem districts to trace him. The photographs were also given to the staff at toll plazas. Six special teams were formed to nab him.
Sumit Sharan, commissioner of police, Coimbatore city said that Gajendran was intercepted by a police team during vehicle check and he was arrested on Sunday evening. He will be interrogated and will be remanded to judicial custody on Monday.
According to police sources, Gajendran was getting treatment for mental stress and deaddiction at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). He was an inpatient and managed to escape from a ward at the CMCH in the morning of July 14. He had taken away a moped parked from the roadside and went to his home town where he fought with his family members on Friday and set pillows on fire in front of his house. Later, the accused left the home and did not come back.
The tyres were set ablaze in front of Mahaliamman shrine on the NH Road at Five Corner, Vinayagar temple at Kottaimedu, Mappillai Vinagar shrine in front of Coimbatore Junction railway station and Selva Vinayagar temple at Nallampalayam. The police teams had collected CCTV footage from nearby areas on NH Road and based on the footage, the police traced his identity on Saturday night.
The Ukkadam and the Race Course police registered three FIRs and the Thudiyalur police registered an FIR in connection with the incidents.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President KS Alagiri issued a statement on Sunday and said that the state has been facing economic issues due to Corona. In the meantime, anti-social elements damaged the statue of Periyar EV Ramasamy in Coimbatore. Following the incident, three temples were damaged in the same area. The state government should control the anti-social elements and arrest them immediately. Congress party has condemned the issues.
Hindu Munnani founder Rama Gopalan told in a statement that a youtube channel Karuppar Koottam has been releasing videos using derogatory remarks on Hindu gods and belief of Hindus. The government failed to take stringent action against them. So, they involved in such activities repeatedly. "Our country got freedom in 1947. But Hindus did not get freedom. This cast should fight together against people who are trying to damage its religion," said Rama Gopalan.
PMK leader Dr S Ramadoss tweeted that some people attempted to instigate the religious and caste-related violence by damaging the temples. Communal harmony should be protected and stringent action should be taken against those who damaged temples in Coimbatore.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko said in a statement that the party has condemned the incident of burning tyres in front of four temples in Coimbatore. He said the man attempted to disturb the communal harmony. Tamil Nadu police should arrest the culprit.