Four held for attacking Revenue Inspector in Krishnagiri

Four persons, including a village panchayat vice-president, were arrested on the charge of attacking a Revenue Inspector K. Poovidhan of Kuruparapalli on Sunday evening while he was taking a photograph of graffiti on the wall of a private house on temple land near Kodappalli Panchayat.

The Veppanahalli police arrested the accused on Monday morning and were produced before Judicial Magistrate No. II Inba Karthick. They were remanded in judicial custody for 15 days and were lodged in Salem Central prison.

The police said Mr. Poovidhan was abused and attacked when he was photographing the poll graffiti, which was done without valid permission from the owner.

The arrested were: R. Sivakumar (DMK), vice-president, Kodipalli Panchayat; K. Rajneesh, K. Karthick, and G. Santhosh Kumar (a private bus conductor). All of them were DMK sympathisers.

The police have registered cases under sections 294 B, 232, 332, 506/2 of Indian Penal Code and 4 (B) of Tamil Nadu Open Places Prevention of Disfigurement Act 1959.

The Tami Nadu Government Employees Association has asked the government to invoke Goondas Act against the accused.

Over 100 members of the association, including 35 women, led by K. Agoram, district secretary, staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate with the demand.

Mr. Agoram said the Election Commission of India should provide police protection Revenue Inspectors till the election process was over in the district. This was the fourth incident of attack on government employees by politicians after the election process began.

He condemned the administration for its lacklustre attitude towards those who attacked government officials in the previous occasions.