20 persons suffered minor injuries after a stone pelting incident in Tamil Nadu (Representational)
20 persons, including passengers of a bus and two drivers were injured when a crowd pelted stones at state transport buses after alleged reckless driving led to a fisherman's death at Thangachimadam area late last night.
The two bus drivers are reported to be in a serious condition. The passengers suffered minor injuries, police said. They said the protesters also made a futile bid to set ablaze another bus, leading to mild use of force by police personnel, who rushed to the spot to disperse them.
11 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence and cases booked against 150 others, they said. Police said violence broke out after a fisherman returning home with his wife on a bike after attending a function, was fatally knocked down by a government bus. His wife was seriously injured.
As news about his death spread, people in the area surrounded the bus, blocked road traffic and pelted stones at the vehicle and two other buses, police said.
District Collector S Natarajan and Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Meena rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitators even as some persons tried to set a bus ablaze, leading to police action.
The fisherman's body was later sent to the Ramanathapuram government hospital for a post-mortem.
Armed police who have been posted in the area said that the situation was under control.