Following the clash at Thadagam valley on Sunday between activists opposing illegal red earth mining and residents of villages in the valley, the Thadagam police registered cases against 11 persons based on complaints from both sides.
Police sources said that based on a complaint from S. Suresh, an employee of a brick chamber in Somayanur, a case was registered against activists 'Thadagam’ S. Ganesh (44), G. Mohanraj alias Mac Mohan (47), R. Ramesh and his 17-year-old daughter under sections 447 (Punishment for criminal trespass), 294(b) (Uttering obscenities), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 506(2) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The accused allegedly trespassed into the locked brick chamber and operated a drone camera without prior permission. One of the accused allegedly attacked Ravichandran, a resident of Kalaiyanur who accompanied the complainant, with a helmet and he suffered bleeding injuries above his left eyebrow, the sources said.
Mr. Ganesh also lodged a complaint, based on which the Thadagam police booked seven persons associated with the brick chamber namely the brick chamber's owner V.K.V. Sundararaj, Parasuraman, Ganesan, Prabhakaran, Maruthaiyan, Jeevanathan and Sudhapriyan.
They were booked under sections 147 (Punishment for rioting), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 506(2) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) read with 379 (Punishment for theft) of the IPC. The activist alleged in his complaint that he and others were attempting to assess the damages caused due to illegal red earth mining in the valley using a drone camera near Kalaiyanur Kulam when the seven persons gathered at the spot, assaulted them physically and allegedly robbed cash totalling a few thousand rupees from them.
A senior police officer from Coimbatore District Police said on Monday that no arrests were made on either side following the registration of the two cases. All 11 persons were allowed to leave the Thadagam police station late on Sunday on the condition that they must cooperate with the police for further investigations, he said.
