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Ponmudi arrest triggers tension in Villupuram

By S. Dorairaj

Villupuram Feb. 28. Tension prevailed in parts of Villupuram and Cuddalore districts for several hours today in the wake of the arrest of the former DMK Minister, K. Ponmudi, MLA, and 15 others on charges of rioting, criminal intimidation and causing damage to property on Wednesday.

According to the police here, Mr. Ponmudi was arrested around 11 a.m. at his East Shanmugapuram colony residence following a complaint lodged by the town AIADMK secretary, A. Noormohammed.

High drama preceded the arrest and remand of the DMK men. Though a police team went to Mr. Ponmudi's residence around 4.30 a.m., he allegedly insisted that action be taken against some AIADMK activists for indulging in violence near the Collectorate complex here on Wednesday. A large number of DMK workers also gathered there, protesting the attempts to arrest Mr. Ponmudi.

But Mr. Ponmudi was arrested at 10.55 a.m. Refusing to be taken in a police van, he, along with party colleagues, marched to the police station. Several AIADMK banners, posters and hoardings put up en route were damaged and glasspanes on the facade of some buildings smashed.

Bus services on certain routes were withdrawn for over three hours as buses were stoned and DMK men resorted to a road roko in different areas. Almost all shops along main roads downed their shutters. Only after 5 p.m. did some of them resume business. Attempts by three DMK men to immolate themselves were foiled by the police.

The party workers resorted to protests in Gingee and Cuddalore also. In Cuddalore, Ila. Pugazhendi, MLA, and municipal chairman, A.G.Rajendran, were among the arrested for staging a road roko near the General Hospital.

The situation became still tense near the court complex when Mr. Ponmudi was taken to a judicial magistrate court. As a large number of DMK men followed him, raising slogans, the police resorted to a lathicharge and chased them away. Mr. Ponmudi, along with the partymen, staged a dharna near the court complex, protesting the police action.

He was then remanded and taken to the district government headquarters hospital in Cuddalore. But he insisted that he be taken to the Villupuram Government Hospital before being lodged in the central jail as per the court order. Later, he sat in dharna near the prison complex around 7 p.m., reiterating his demand.

Sources in the DMK claimed that the arrests betrayed the Government's "vindictiveness." Mr. Ponmudi and his party colleagues were arrested only because they had protested the display of AIADMK flags at the venue of an official function in which Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, participated yesterday, they alleged.

But it was stated in the complaint that the DMK men, who went to the Collectorate under the leadership of Mr. Ponmudi on Wednesday seeking action against persons who had attacked a mobile phone agency office run by his son, allegedly damaged some banners and hoardings put up by the AIADMK to welcome Ms. Jayalalithaa to the town. The DMK men also brandished knives at the AIADMK activists, it was alleged.

Some cars including the one belonging to Mr. Ponmudi were damaged when stones were thrown at the DMK activists, who were coming out of the Collectorate.

The police registered cases against Mr. Ponmudi and the others including the local municipal chairman, S.S. Panneerselvam, under four Sections of the IPC — 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation with weapons).

In a related development, government employees belonging to taluk and RDOs' offices in Villupuram district went on mass casual leave protesting the alleged attempt to attack the revenue personnel in connection with the removal of AIADMK flags from the official function venue.

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