Thoothukudi: As many as 234 men have been arrested so far in connection with the May 22 and 23 anti-Sterlite riots in Thoothukudi. Midnight arrests too are being complained about by the people, who on Friday came to the streets demanding to stop such arrests.
According to police sources, 243 cases have been registered in connection with the May 22 riots and the aftermath of the violence. Having collected all the CCTV footages along the path of the violent procession on May 22 and the video clippings and photographs, the police identified persons involved in stone pelting, petrol bombs hurling and violence and were picking them up.
Around 234 such identified persons have been said to have been arrested and remanded till June 14. On a single day on June 14 Thoothukudi district police arrested 30 men, shocking locals.
Among the total number of arrested persons, 173 were released on bail according to the police, who too were severely criticised for picking up youths by knocking at their doors at midnight.
According to Ponmari, a 24-year-old housewife of Madathur village, a few policemen entered her house in the night a couple of days ago and asked for her husband, who went outstation.
“The policemen went to all the rooms with shoes and they even opened the bureau and searched for my husband,” said Ponmari, adding, her two children who were frightened by the entry of the police into their house were yet to recover from the fear.
To avoid midnight arrests the Madathur people were reportedly staying outside their house at the village temple ground during nights for the last two days. Demanding to stop the midnight arrests, around 100 women of the Madathur village staged a road blockade in the Thoothukudi main road.
Thoothukudi DMK MLA, P Geetha Jeevan petitioning the district collector in this regard, warned that the illegal arrests by the police if not stopped immediately might result in another people’s agitation. The police officials and the district collector however denied the people’s complaint and added that no arbitrary arrest was made.
