2 SDPI men injured in attack, 6 Hindu outfit members held

COIMBATORE: Two workers of the

Social Democratic Party of India

(SDPI), considered a Muslim party, were injured when activists of

Hindu

outfits attacked them in the city on Sunday. The SDPI activists were canvassing at Jothipuram near Periyanaickenpalayam to enrol new members when Hindu Munnani and BJP workers opposed the campaign and assaulted the two. The rural police arrested six people and remanded them in judicial custody.

The arrested persons were identified as G Murugan, 40, a caterer of Poonga Nagar at No 4 Veerapandi, K Mathi alias Mathiyazhagan, 28, a realtor from Sri Ram Nagar at No 4 Veerapandi near Periyanaickenpalayam, B Vijayakumar, 47, a realtor from Annai Nagar at Periyanaickenpalayam, Maniyan from Periyanaickenpalayam, J Prakash, 27 from Sivasakthi Colony near Periyanaickenpalayam and K Krishnaraj, 31, from LML Colony at Amman Kulam. Police said Vijayakumar was a member of the BJP and the others were members of the Hindu Munnani. One of the persons was arrested for hurling a petrol bomb at a shop at Thudiyalur in September 2016.

Police said M Ameer Abbas, 38, of Nehru Street at Thudiyalur, who owned a fancy shop and S Ahmed Shihabuddin, 21, from Nehru Street at Thudiyalur, who worked in a courier firm at Peelamedu, suffered severe injuries on the head and face. Ameer Abbas is the president of the SDPI for the

Kavundampalayam

assembly constituency and Ahmed is a member of the SDPI.

On Saturday night, Yasser Arafat, a functionary of the SDPI and three other members of the outfit were conducting a campaign at Arivozhi Nagar near Periyanaickenpalayam to enrol new members for their party. The members of the Hindu outfits asked them not to conduct a campaign in the area and argued with them. Residents of Arivozhi Nagar intervened and settled the issue. Immediately, Ameer Abbas was informed about the incident and he asked the party members to leave the place.

Ameer Abbas and Ahmed went to Jothipuram near Periyanaickenpalayam where they met Yasser Arafat and other SDPI workers. The Hindu outfit members followed them to Jothipuram and assaulted Ameer and Ahmed with wooden logs and sickles. Both suffered severe injuries and were rushed to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).

Based on Ameer Abbas’s complaint, the Periyanaickenpalayam police registered a case against the six persons under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 147, 148, 294 (b) and 506 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code. The police arrested them and remanded them in judicial custody.

A member of a Hindu outfit also lodged a complaint against members of the SDPI and police registered a case against four members of the the SDPI. Further investigation is on.

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