Chennai: Residents of Foreshore Estate blocked roads on Thursday morning, protesting the death of 23-year-old Syed Gulam, who died after a sunshade collapsed on him at Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) quarters on Wednesday night.
Protesters removed barricades, argued with the local MLA and police officers, and disrupted peak-hour traffic on Foreshore Estate-Santhome High Road junction, causing vehicle pile-ups all the way to Thiru Vi Ka Bridge.
On Wednesday night, Syed, an electrician working at a private firm, returned home around 9.30pm and parked his bike. A portion of a sunshade from the third floor collapsed, striking him on the head. Bystanders rushed him to Govt Royapettah Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
By 9am on Thursday, hundreds of protesters including locals, TMMK workers, communist party members and fishermen, marched on to the main road. Police placed barricades to stop them, but the crowd pushed forward. They demanded compensation of 10 lakh and a job for Syed's family, demolition of old buildings and construction of new ones.
The protesters blocked traffic for more than two hours, affecting connecting roads too. Traffic police diverted vehicles heading from Anna Square to Adyar via Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, while vehicles travelling from Adyar to Parrys were rerouted at Greenways Salai and Mandaveli Road. Despite this, traffic crawled on Thiru Vi Ka Bridge and Lattice Bridge Road.
The situation worsened on Kamarajar Salai as AIADMK workers paid homage to former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's on her death anniversary. This added to traffic jams on Wallajah Salai, Bharathi Salai and other roads connecting to Kamarajar Salai.
Protesters dispersed around 11.30am after the state announced a solatium of 5 lakh for Syed's family.