Security tightened in TN as petrol bomb attacks continue

CHENNAI: Tension prevailed in Coimbatore and a few other districts of the State, including Dindigul and Chengalpattu, as unidentified miscreants unleashed attacks on properties of Hindu outfit leaders on Saturday as well.

With two more cases of petrol bomb attacks on Saturday, a sense of panic gripped several parts of Coimbatore, which had witnessed similar incidents on Friday.

Instill confidence among people and to keep the situation under control, beefed up the security across the city and district. Coimbatore District Collector GS Sameeran and City Commissioner of Police V Balakr- ishnan after a high-level meeting with 94 Jammat leaders from the district, announced that those involved in offences would soon be arrested and detained under the Goondas Act. Later, the Collector held a meeting with BJP and RSS functionaries.

Subsequently, Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu also held a meeting through video conferencing with the Collector, IGP (Western Zone) Sudhakar and Commissioner of police Balakrishnan and discussed the security arrangements.

Sources said petrol bombs were hurled at the BJP office at Sidhapudhur, a textile shop at OppanakaraVeedhi, house of BJP functionary Mohan at Gandhiputam, a furniture showroom at Mettupalayam, house of RSS functionary Ananda Kalyana Krishnan at Kovaipudhur, and BJP functionary’s house at Kuniyamuthur and at Pollachi in the last two days. Though there was no fatality or injuries, a few vehicles were damaged. A total of 28 check posts along with the existing 11 were established.

In a similar attack near Chennai, unidentified miscreants hurled petrol bomb (molotov cocktail) at the residence of an RSS functionary in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Chitlapakkam during the early hours on Saturday.

However, no injury or damage to property was reported in the incident, police said. The incident happened around 4 am, when the occupant, Seetharman (62), a district co-ordinator in RSS, was inside the house with his family. The inmates of the house rushed outside on hearing a thud and were shocked to find some object on fire, which they put out with the help of neighbours. Tambaram City Police rushed to the scene on information and conducted inves- tigations. Preliminary inquiries revealed that a bike-borne duo carried out the attack. Police are collecting CCTV footage in the neighbourhood to identify the culprits.