Police resort to lathi charge to quell agitated students

Madurai, Nov 14 (UNI) Police resorted to mild lathi charge when a section of students of a private Higher Secondary School started pelting stones on buses and blocked vehicular traffic protesting against the recent violent group clash at Dr Ambedkar Law College in Usilampatti, here today.

Police sources said a group of students boycotted their classes and forced other students to join them to condemn the violence in the Law College.

The students also staged road roko agitation demanding stringent action against erring policemen, who failed to act promptly to check the violence.

On information, a police posse rushed to the spot and asked the students to disperse immediately. It made the students angry and they satrted pelting stones on the buses. Police swung into action and made mild lathi charge to chase away the students, who took shelter inside the school campus and continued to pelt stones on the vehicles and police.

Later, police restored normality and took several students into custody on the charges of damaging vehicles.

All the educational institutions in the city, including Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Arts College declared a holiday after the students' unrest. Most of the shops and commercial establishments also downed shutters in Usilampatti Taluk to condemn the Law College violence.

A large number of policemen were deployed in sensitive places and patrolling was intensified in and around Usilampatti to prevent further trouble.

Meanwhile, four people were arrested in connection with the burning of government bus at Arapalayam bus stand late last night, the sources said.

UNI GSM SW KP1543