TN: Cop fires in air as rival groups of illegal sand miners clash in Pudukottai district

TRICHY: Police had to fire in the air to disperse a violent crowd of about 200 people belonging to two groups of illegal sand miners who attacked each other with machetes and sickles at Posampatti village in Pudukottai district on Tuesday. At least 25 people have been taken into custody after 11 people including a sub-inspector of police sustained injuries.
The groups which originated from differences over mining sand from the local village pond were clashing over derogatory WhatsApp messages posted against one leader. At the centre of the plot were Paramasivam and Sellaiah, relatives-turned arch rivals belonging to the backward class Vallambar community, who lead the groups.
Families of these two men, who were influential in the village, developed rivalry after one group began tipping the police when the other mined sand from the water bodies in their village. Things turned bitter when Sellaiah lost the recently held panchayat union councillor election, said a senior police officer. Paramasivam group was instrumental in ensuring his defeat and there have been wordy duels among the two groups over the last few months.
The post was long held by members from vallambar community but this time it was won by a candidate from the mutharaiyar community. The rivalry turned violent on Monday evening when a group of Sellaiah supporters went to Paramasivam’s house. They alleged that he had circulated derogatory message against Sellaiah in WhatsApp groups. A verbal spat turned into scuffle and members of both the families started hitting each other, said the police.
While Paramasivam and his wife sustained injuries, they lodged a complaint with the K Pudupatti police and got admitted to hospital. Two police personnel who were deployed in the village after the incident on Monday evening informed sub inspector Saravanan that a large crowd had gathered in the village with weapons. Police said when sub-inspector Saravanan from K Pudupatti police station reached the spot around 11 am, over 200 people armed with weapons were fighting. Now undergoing treatment at the government hospital after suffering injury to his limbs while attempting to pacify the crowd, he said he had to open fire as the crowd was turning violent. The crowd paused on hearing the gun shot but at least 10 people from both sides were already injured and rushed to hospital including Saravanan. The situation was brought under control after additional police personnel were rushed to the spot.
Pudukottai district superintendent of police L Balaji told TOI that Saravanan fired in the air to prevent casualty among the clashing crowd and save lives of the police personnel. Police security was beefed up with H M Jayaram, inspector general of police, central zone and DIG Z Annie Vijaya arriving to take stock of the situation. Over 60 police personnel, six inspectors, three DSPs headed by an additional deputy superintendent of police (ADSP) were deployed to keep the situation under control.