Lankan Tamil Refugees Attacked Police - DGP

Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Ms Lietika Saran, said in a statement, that the inmates in the refugees camp at Chenglepet, attacked the police personnel's and confined a police Sub-Inspector and a Constable in the room and tried to escape.

One Police-Inspector and a Constable sustained serious injuries and admitted to the Chenglepet Government Hospital, due to brutal attack by Tamil Refugees, she added.

According to the DGP's statement, Fifteen Sri Lankan Tamil refugees at the Chenglepattu special camp were on Wednesday sent to Central Prison, Vellore for 15 days by a local court, after a police inspector filed cases against them for allegedly attacking two police officials in the camp on Tuesday midnight.

Ms Saran said, Three of the 15 arrested - Ramanan, Mohammad Rukshan, and Sekhar - had on Tuesday climbed up a pipal tree on the special camp premises and threatened to commit suicide if they were not released immediately.

"Gudiyatham Rural (Vellore district) police inspector V M Ganeshan and head constable Muniyandi were "pushed inside camp by the refugees and locked up. They threatened to set the cops on fire," DGP said.

Police reinforcements was called to save the duo. In the melee, refugee Ramanan punched Albert Wilson, inspector attached to Chengalpattu town, on his right eye and Gangadharan, another inmate, landed a blow on the head constable Muniyandi, the statement alleged.

DGP, also claimed that the 15 inmates threatened to kill the entire police force on duty at the camp.

The DGP further said, the police also recovered 29 mobile phones, four iron rods, three iron pipes, two wooden logs and five knives from the Lankan Tamil refugees.

Joining issue with the police, Agni Subramaniam of Manitham, an NGO, claimed that four battalions of police were rushed to bash up the inmates. He alleged that the condition of the two hospitalized inmates was serious.

Sri Lankan Tamils Protection Movement coordinator P Nedumaran alleged that the police had attacked the inmates at 10 pm for staging a fast unto death, urging the Chief Minister to redress their grievances. He demanded that all the injured inmates be released immediately.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi's (VCK) Kancheepuram district secretary said, that his party would hold a demonstration on February 6 in Chengalpattu to condemn the police atrocities.

- Asian Tribune -