15 people held for attacking councillor in Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu

KALLAKURICHI: Police on Saturday filed a case against 15 people including two councillors for attacking a DMK councillor for posting an audio clip on social media.

According to local sources, during the Kallakurichi Municipality council meeting on Friday, ward 5 DMK councillor R Yuvarani warned ward 11 DMK councillor Gnanavel over the audio clip. Municipality chairman Subburayalu and commissioner Kumaran asked her not to speak about it in the municipality meeting. She sat down after her brother-in-law and ward 15 ADMK councillor Babu asked her to question Gnanavel when he came out after the meeting.

After the council meeting in the evening, Babu, Yuvarani, her husband Raja and supporters started attacking Gnanavel. He ran inside the chairman's office and locked himself inside. Supporters of Gnanavel rushed to the municipality office and began arguing with the attackers. Kallakurichi police came to the spot and cleared them after talks.

An injured Gnanavel was taken to the government hospital in Kallakurichi and then shifted to JIPMER in Puducherry for treatment. Based on the statement from Gnanavel, Kallakurichi police filed a case against fifteen people including Babu, Raja and Yuvarani. A source added the trio were taken to the police station for inquiry and sent home after that as their supporters gathered before the station.

The source further said that Gnanavel is a supporter of Rishivandhiyam DMK MLA and Kallakurichi south district secretary Vasantham K Karthikeyan. On September 24, Gnanavel released an audio on social media in which he scolded former town secretary and district treasurer Kennedy and his family members for supporting former MLA Mookappan, who filed a nomination against Karthikeyan for the district secretary post. Kennedy is Babu's elder brother. Police personnel have been deployed at major junctions in Kallakurichi