Police identifies dead PMANE activist as the main accused of the bomb blast at Tsunami Colony.
Officials inspect bomb blast site. - DC
Tirunelveli: One of the six persons killÂed in the Tuesday blast at Tsunami Colony in IdinÂthakarai near here has beÂen identified as the main accused by the police investigating the case. Viyagappan, an expert bomb-maker, was killed while a bomb he was making went off accidentally.
Police on Wednesday registered case naming him and four others—Valan, Mariyaraj, Vijay and Jesu Marian for alleged conspiracy, culpable homicide and violation of explosives act.
Tirunelveli SP Vijayendra Bidari told mediapersons that cases would be filed against anti-nuke agitation leaders of PMANE (People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy), including S. P. Udayakumar, M. Pushparayan and Muhilan, besides some others.
However, it turned out later that the police first information report did not include the PMANE leaders and sources said Bidari had been called to police headquarters at Chennai for briefing on how his force could not enter the village for about two hours after the blast even though the fire service undertook the rescue operations in time.
Local fishermen have been upset with PMANE leadership for bringing about 100 families from another fishing village called Koothanguli, notorious for bomb wars.
These ‘outsiders’, including Viyagappan, had fled from one such violent clash to take refuge in the vacant Tsunami Colony a couple of months back.
Police inaction helped bomb factories thrive
Police inaction helped bomb factories thrive
Idinthakarai: Coordinator S P Udayakumar of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) on Wednesday denied reports linking his movement with the bomb blast that killed six people at Tsunami Colony here. “We have never supported violence. We have been conducting our agitation against the Kudankulam nuclear power project in a peaceful manner. This tragedy is the result of group rivalry”, he told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Tirunelveli SP Vijayendra Bidari had told the media that the PMANE leaders were involved in the bomb blast. However, the subsequent police FIR did not include the PMANE leadership, though all the five men figuring in the case were known PMANE activists, including the bomb-maker Viyagappan, who died in the blast.
In a pitiable demonstration of inadequate response to the blast, the police force led by senior officers, including the SP, waited outside the village for almost two hours after the blast because the locals would not allow them to enter. In fact, the police would not dare to enter the fishing hamlets in the region, including Idinthakarai, Koothanguli and Tsunami Colony, for the last two years and more fearing their bomb-wielders.
In the present case, the Idinthakarai residents were upset with the police alleging that their petitions seeking action on group clashes, which invariably involved country bombs and aruvals, went unheeded by the authorities.
The locals were also unhappy with PMANE leaders for settling about 100 families from Kuthanguli village in Tsunami Colony after they fled from one such violent clash a couple of months back. It is said that PMANE leaders intervened when the village committee recently decided to expel the ‘guests’ as they continued to indulge in illegal activities, such as bomb-making. “We warned Viyagappan and associates against indulging in bomb-making”, PMANE spokesman M Pushparayan told DC.
“We have been objecting to the stay of these violent elements here but then, the PMANE leaders thrust them on us saying they must be allowed to use the vacant tenements in the government-built tsunami rehab colony. We had no choice, though we are very scared”, said a local fisherman Rajan, adding that the police remained unconcerned.
Local fishermen have been upset with PMANE leadership for bringing about 100 families from another fishing village called Koothanguli, notorious for bomb wars.
These ‘outsiders’, including Viyagappan, had fled from one such violent clash to take refuge in the vacant Tsunami Colony a couple of months back.
( Source : dc )
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