Madurai

The clash left eight persons injured, including three police personnel, said Mallankinaru inspector S Annaraj, who sustained head injuries. Several houses in the neighbourhood was also damaged following stone pelting.

There was a dispute simmering between the two communities for some time, which was kept under control. What triggered the present skirmish was the entry of a section into the temple during the festival on Friday, police said.

After the tension broke out into a clash, Virudhunagar Superintendent of Police M Rajarajan came to the spot along with a large posse of personnel and brought the situation under control. According to the officer, inspector Annaraj suffered head injuries after an unidentified person hurled stone at him while he was detaining a suspect. This incident happened near the Mallankinaru police station.

Now, a big contingent of police has been deployed in the locality to ensure that the situation did not worsen. So far, 22 persons, including 11 from each group, have been arrested, the SP said. Mallankinaru police have filed a case in connection with the incident and are investigating.

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