Tamil Nadu

Protest against eviction of trader, 32 held

TAMBARAM: Thirtytwo persons, including Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peravai president T.Vellaiyan, were arrested on Saturday when they attempted to stage a demonstration in West Tambaram to protest the eviction of a tenant from a commercial complex two days ago.

Members of the traders’ body, led by Mr. Vellaiyan, were taking out a procession towards Shanmugham Road, when the police arrested them.

They were detained in a marriage hall in Alandur and released in the evening, the police said. The peravai’s call to the shopkeepers to down shutters in the southern suburbs met with partial response.

Trouble began on Thursday afternoon when a group of men barged into the textile store run by A. Loganathan, who had taken two shops – one on the ground floor and another on the first – on rent in a complex owned by Veeraraghavan on Ramakrishnan Street. The men entered the shop on the ground floor measuring about 200 square feet, bundled up clothes and racks and threw them outside, before closing down the shutters.

As news about the incident spread, members of the Tambaram unit of the peravai rushed to the spot. Sometime later,

Mr. Vellaiyan visited the shop. Traders alleged that the group of men who barged into the shop was employed by the owner of the complex.

But, the relatives and friends of the owner said that the tenant was allowed to occupy the first floor and was asked to vacate only the ground floor so that relatives of the owner could move in. Though the owner was requesting the tenant for several months to vacate, he did not budge.

Complaints were lodged by both sides at the Tambaram police station. A case under Section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (dispute concerning land likely cause breach of peace) was registered, the police said, adding the incident would be probed by the Revenue Divisional Officer of Chengalpattu.

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