6 Hindu Munnani men held for ransacking hotel named after Periyar

COIMBATORE: Six members of Hindu Munnani were arrested by Coimbatore rural police on Wednesday for ransacking a hotel opened in the name of ‘Thanthai Periyar’ in Karamadai.

A group of men from Hindu Munnani barged into the hotel and unleashed violence for naming it after the rationalist leader on Tuesday. They also assaulted Prabhakaran, who runs the hotel, ‘Thanthai Periyar Unavagam’ at Kannarpalayam. Other employees were also not spared by the unruly mob.

One of the employees, a 21-year-old youth, was injured in the attack and has been hospitalised. The members of the outfit, identified as Ravi Bharathi, Saravanakumar, Sunil, Vijayakumar, Prabhakaran and Prabhu broke into a quarrel with Prabhakaran for his choice of name. They also warned of dire consequences if the name of the hotel is not changed.

Based on a complaint from Prabhakaran, Karamadai police booked them under IPC Sections 146 for rioting, 447 for trespass, 294 (b) for singing, reciting or uttering any obscene song, ballad or words in a public place and 323 for voluntarily causing hurt.

They were also slapped with sections 3 and 4 of Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act (TNOPPD), 1959. All the six persons have been arrested and further inquiry is on.