Eight persons, including police and fire and rescue services personnel and 108 ambulance crew, suffered injuries when an irate mob hurled stones, and the police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the crowd.

According to local sources, a section of people installed the statue without seeking permission thinking that it would not bring any action because of the impending election. However, officials decided to remove it which resulted in the unrest.

Learning about the tense situation, Madurai SP Sujit Kumar rushed to the spot and conducted inquiries. The officer said the statue was installed without obtaining prior permission. Though the deputy Tahsildar held talks, the people refused to relent to the move to remove the statue.

When the talks broke down, some of them hurled stones at the police. Six vehicles, including four police vehicles, one Fire and Rescue services vehicle and an ambulance, were damaged.

However, the statue was removed and kept in the premises of Melur taluk office. Though the police managed to bring the situation under control on Tuesday morning, more personnel have been deployed in the area to prevent any further incidents, added SP Sujit Kumar.

Sources said the police have picked up 10 persons for interrogation. Based on a complaint, Kottampatti police have filed a case.