Residents including women, farmers, petty traders and students in Arasampattu village near here blocked the Pudur Nadu-Tirupattur town main road, which is maintained by the Department of State Highways, on Tuesday against encroachment of the narrow road and denial of access to it by residents, who are mostly tribals. An assault on a man, who complained against the encroachment, triggered the protest.
Residents said Arasampattu remains a key link to tribal villages like Pudur Nadu and Nellivasal Nadu on the eastern side of Jawadhu Hills. The tribal villages consist of more than 20 remote hamlets, forming separate village panchayats. The existing Pudur Nadu - Tirupattur town main road is the arterial road for villages to reach major towns like Jolarpet, Tirupattur, Kandali and Vaniyambadi. “A small group of individuals has encroached on a portion of the stretch and blocked residents from using it. It has affected free flow of traffic on the route,” said S. Mayan, a resident.
The police said the issue began when K. Sivakumar, 34, a mason, questioned the encroachment of the public road by C. Anand Muthu, 47, V. Anandan, 40, and B. Geminiganesan, 39. The trio had erected a temporary asbestos shed on the portion of the stretch, which is at least six feet wide and belongs to the State Highways, to stock cement bags and other construction materials of their shop a week ago.
Since then, police said residents were barred from using the public space. This angered residents and Mr. Sivakumar filed a complaint with Tirupattur police on January 12, following which he was assaulted by the trio on the same day. Initially, Mr. Sivakumar was admitted at the Government Medical College Hospital in Tirupattur town with head injuries. Later, he was shifted to the government hospital in Krishnagiri, the police said.
Following the incident, residents blocked the bus that belongs to Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) around 9 a.m on Tuesday, demanding arrest of the trio and to allow the public to use the stretch again. Based on the alert, Tirupattur Taluk police, revenue and highways officials rushed to the spot and pacified the residents.
After more than three hours of agitation, residents dispersed peacefully based on assurance given by the police that action would be taken. Cases have been filed against the trio by the police. “Such encroachments on the stretch that connect tribal villages to towns in the plains will be demolished and will be allowed for the public to use them again,” said a State Highways official.
