TIRUCHY: Manapparai police on Saturday arrested DMK East union secretary Arockiasamy for allegedly conspiring to trigger unrest during polling day and instigating an earlier clash at a Tasmac outlet.

Police said Arockiasamy was behind the April 23 protest by residents at Vellayankonpatti, which led to a mild lathi charge and a four-hour poll boycott. Cases have been registered against him under sections including criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and disrupting public harmony.

Investigators also linked him to an April 10 incident in which DMK cadres—Saravanan, Gopi and Siva allegedly assaulted BJP functionary Balasubramanian at a Tasmac bar following a verbal altercation over political rivalry.

Arockiasamy was arrested after the probe linked the two incidents, police added.