2 held for desecration of Thevar's statue

Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, Mar 13 (UNI) A special police team arrested two persons in connection with the desecration of the statue of veteran freedom fighter and icon of Mukkulathor Community Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar at Sankaralingapuram Village near Rajapalayam, here today.

A police official said after an intensive probe, the police team arrested Veluchamy alias Velraj (28), an illegal sand mining agent and Manimuthu (33), a television mechanic, this evening.

A quarrel between the duo was the reason for the statue being vandalised on March 3 leading to a tense situation in the district prompting the administration to deploy large number of policemen in and around Rajapalayam.

The official said Manimuthu demanded money from Veluchamy, failing which the illegal sand mining activity of the latter in the local river would be brought to the notice of the police. There was a quarrel between them over this issue.

On the day, there was a verbal duel between them in which Manimuthu threatened the illegal sand miner that he would damage the Thevar statue and put the blame on him (Veluchamy).

Enraged over this, Veluchamy challenged him to do so if he had the guts.

Manimuthu then cut the head of the statue with a hammer. However, both of them agreed to conceal the crime.

UNI GSM VD RAI2219