'Dinakaran' attack: Spontaneous protests in southern districts

Madurai, May 10 (UNI) Spontaneous protests erupted at many places in the southern districts seeking prompt action into yesterday's attack here on Tamil Daily ''Dinakaran'', in which three people were killed.

Meanwhile, M K Azhagiri, the elder son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi issued a legal notice to proprietor of Sun tv network Mr Kalanidhi Maran to stop ''implicating'' him in the violence.

In the legal notice Mr Azhagiri threatened to initiate legal action against the Sun Tv network, if it continued to hold him responsible for the attack on the daily's office in its news bulletins.

Earlier in the day, four persons involved in yesterday's incident were produced before a Magistrate at nearby Melur. The quartet, S Basha alias Manik Basha (40), 'Tyre' Pandi (33), P Prabhu (21) and M Saravanan (27), were charged under eight sections of the IPC, including sec. 302.

Two of them were secured late last night while the other two were nabbed earlier this morning.

Magistrate Mr Ravindran remanded them to 15 days custody following which they were lodged in Madurai Central Prison.

So far 88 people, mostly roadside vendors, have been secured under preventive detention.

Later, Mayor Thenmozhi's husband, P Gopinathan, and four others, arrested in connection with unauthorised assembly and damage to public property, were produced before the Magistrate and released on bail.

Two persons were arrested in connection with the stone pelting on buses.

Meanwhile, the Madurai mediapersons staged a protest demonstration in the District collectorate premises, demanding action against the culprits.

Employees of the affected daily resorted to a road blockade in the city demanding the arrest of Mayor Thenmozhi and others responsible for the violence. A condolence meeting was also held in the evening at the office premises of the daily.

'People's Watch'- an NGO, and the Citizen's Human Rights Movement took out a procession and held a demonstration.

The lawyers' wing of AIADMK and its ally MDMK also staged a demonstration, seeking dismissal of the Mayor.

UNI