Woman DSP Assaulted During Protest in Aruppukottai; One Arrested as Video Circulates Online
In Aruppukottai, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was assaulted on Tuesday while attempting to prevent a group of protesters from staging a road blockade.
The protest was sparked by the murder of K Kalikumar (28) from Ramanathapuram, who was killed near Kethanayakkanpatti due to previous enmity. The Tiruchuli police registered a case and arrested four suspects: P Lakshmanan (24) from Sempenerunji, M Arunkumar (22) from Tiruchuli, K Kaleeswaran (22), and S Balamurugan (25) from Madurai.
However, nearly 70 of Kalikumar’s relatives staged a road blockade outside the government hospital in Tiruchuli, demanding the arrest of two additional suspects, Velmurugan (44) and Veerasuran (23). The protesters also attempted to block the road near MS Corner.
When DSP Gayathri intervened to persuade the protesters and prevent the blockade, she was assaulted. A Balamurugan (30) from Nellikulam was arrested in connection with the incident, and six others are under investigation.
A video of the incident, showing protesters pulling DSP Gayathri’s hair, has gone viral on social media.
Opposition leader and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the attack on the DSP. Criticizing the ruling DMK, Palaniswami called for swift action against those responsible and urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to ensure safety for all, including police officers, in the state.
