Over 2,000 plantain trees axed by miscreants in Namakkal

COIMBATORE: In a continuing saga of attacks on farms, more than 2,000 plantain crops were axed down by unidentified persons in a village near Jedarpalayam in Namakkal on Saturday night.

This incident is the latest among the chain of violence unleashed by miscreants in retaliation for the murder of a 27-year-old woman on March 11.

Earlier, in an arson attack on May 13, a 19-year-old migrant worker at a jaggery unit succumbed to burns, while three others survived after treatment.

Even though Jedarpalayam and its surrounding areas have been brought under a thick blanket of police cover, incidents of attacks, particularly destruction of crops continues unabated with police also suspecting the issue to have taken a caste angle.

On Saturday night, unidentified persons chopped down over 1,800 plantain trees in a farm owned by Nallasivam, 60 and his brother Dharmalingam, 54 in Kothamangalam village near Jedarpalayam.

Also, over 200 plantain trees in the neighbouring farm of Subramanian, 68 were destroyed by the culprits.

Following the incident, District Collector S Uma, Salem Range DIG S Rajeswari and Superintendent of Police S Rajesh Kannan visited the spot and held inquiries.

The case, which was earlier investigated by local police, was transferred to CB-CID. Police have so far arrested more than 30 persons in connection with multiple incidents of attacks and arson.