After woman’s death, locals burn houses of migrants in Namakkal

COIMBATORE: More than ten tin sheet roofed houses, where north Indian migrant workers employed in a jaggery manufacturing unit reside in Namakkal, were set on fire by miscreants past midnight on Tuesday demanding a prompt investigation into the murder of a young woman.

Though the Jedarpalayam police have arrested a 17-year-old local youth on charges of murdering Nithya, 27, wife of Vivekanandan, as she had gone herding goats near the forest boundary on March 11, the villagers suspected the involvement of more persons and possibly north Indian workers.

A major untoward incident was averted as the workers had gone to their hometowns for the Holi festival, when the miscreants set fire to their locked line houses in the jaggery unit owned by one Duraisamy, 57.

Also, three tractors parked beneath a shed and farm machinery were gutted in the fire.

A shocked Duraisamy attempted to drive away the tractors to safety but suffered severe burn injuries and was admitted to a private hospital for treatment.

Mangled remains of tractors that were gutted.

The miscreants also set fire to another house owned by one Palaniswamy, 55.

This is the second incident of attack as just last week family members of the woman set fire to huts and sheds, where migrant workers stay, in Saralaimedu near Jedarpalayam in Paramathivelur Taluk.

Six persons were arrested by Jedarpalayam police and more than 200 cops were deployed in the locality to defuse tension.

As the situation appeared to have returned to normalcy, the police personnel deployed in the area were withdrawn.

However, yet another attack has escalated tension in the locality.

District Collector Shreya P Singh, West Zone IG R Sudhakar, Salem Range DIG S Rajeswari, and Superintendent of Police C Kalaiselvan inspected the gutted houses.

An investigation is underway to nab the culprits.Meanwhile, the district administration authorities and police officials also held a peace meeting with villagers on the issue and insisted they not resort to violence.