DMK MP, five others arrested following clash

Rameswaram (TN), Mar 29: J K Ritheesh, DMK MP and five others were arrested in connection with a clash between his partymen and DMDK-AIADMK workers at Kalavankudi in the district, police said here today.

Casess under various sections of IPC, including criminal intimidation, prevention of atrocities against SC/ST people and obscene acts were charged against them in connection with the incident yesteray, police said.

All of them were remanded to judicial custody late last night and have been lodged at Madurai Central Prison early today,police said.

The clash broke out between Ritheesh's supporters and local people yesterday when Panchayat officials were making arrangements to lay a road at Kavalankudi. The villagers opposed it stating that the work, a long pending demand, had been taken up only because of the April 13 assembly elections.

Meanwhile, former AIADMK minister V T Natararajan joined the public and questioned the officials about the timing of the work and alleged that it was initiated only because of the elections, leading to clash, police said.

Ritheesh Kumar, who arrived the scene with his supporters allegedly attacked Narayanan,a local resident and other AIADMK men with stones and sticks, police said.

Ten persons, including Narayanan were injured in the clash.

Following the incident, the villagers blocked road traffic demanding arrest of the MP and his supporters for ''indulging in violence in their village", police said.

PTI