Chennai: The Ponnamaravathi incident in Pudukottai is snowballing into a major crisis post-elections. The police have registered cases against 1,000 people for yesterday’s violence when vehicles were burnt, the police station attacked and police personnel injured in stone-throwing.
Owing to the mob violence, Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code, which restricts assembly of the public, has been clamped in the town and the surrounding areas, say reports.
A video clip on Facebook that spoke derogatorily about the women of a particular community is said to have triggered the unrest Thursday. Members of the community gathered and marched to the Ponnamaravathi police station where they indulged in violence.
Though the police pacified them that action would be taken against the person who posted the statement, there was no other development in the case. On Friday, the men of the community cut trees to block traffic and made shops down shutters.
Following the unrest, the Collector ordered the shutting of liquor shops and the administration stopped bus services to Ponnamaravathi.
Today, the police registered cases against 1,000 people for the violence in the town and surrounding areas.