TIRUVANNAMALAI Tension prevailed in Thachampattu village near Tiruvannamalai town on Wednesday after two subsects of dalits clashed with each other for allegedly making fun of a youngster while playing a videogame at a local church a few days ago. Police said that S. Vignesh, 18, a resident of Anthoniyar Puram Colony in Thachampattu village, was playing a videogame on his mobile phone at the local church last Sunday evening. K. Senthamizh, 23, of the same Colony, allegedly scolded and beat up the teenager for playing the videogame keeping the volume loud. The quarrel between the duo resulted in a clash between two families on the same day. Other residents in the neighbourhood pacified them. Next day, S. Sowriamma, Vignesh’s mother, filed a complaint with the Thatchampattu police, against Senthamizh for causing injury to her son. As tension brewed between the two sects in the neighbourhood over the last few days, more than 20 persons led by Senthamizh allegedly damaged the properties belonging to the other group in the Colony on Wednesday. The violence began at around 11 a.m. Immediately, other residents in the Colony joined in. They damaged a local church, tiled houses, and two-wheelers in the locality.
In the clash, the police said that seven persons were injured and admitted to the Tiruvannamalai Medical College Hospital. Based on the alert, a large contingent of police personnel led by B. Soundarajan, Additional SP (ADSP), Tiruvannamalai, was deployed in the village which managed to bring the situation under control around 4 p.m. on Wednesday,” Soundarajan, Additional SP (ADSP), Tiruvannamalai, told The Hindu. Police pickets have been put up in the village and on the Tiruvannamalai - Tiruchengode High Road to prevent any further flare-up. Police said that pickets would be in the village for the entire week until the situation eases. Efforts are also being taken to organise a peace committee in the village to resolve differences between both families, police said.
