Ten traders arrested for laying siege to municipality officers in Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY: Ten traders of the Sunday Market have been arrested on the charges of laying siege to municipality officers. The municipality had entrusted a private party to collect ‘Adikasu’ (space rent) from the Sunday Bazaar traders. The traders charged that the private party is collecting more charges and protested this. Meanwhile, the private party, along with police, came to the Sunday Bazaar and measured the space occupied by each trader and collected charges in accordance with the area occupied by them. When a few traders opposed and refused to pay, their property was loaded in a van by the officials and the traders laid siege of them. Senior cops rushed to the spot and advised traders to pay now and hold discussion with higher municipal authorities. However, as traders continued to argue, police arrested 10 of them and removed others from the spot.