CHENNAI: A petrol bomb attack near the memorial of leader Muthuramalinga Thevar in a residential area of Tirunelveli occurred late at night on Thursday (August 27), with police arresting two people in connection with the incident.
According to a Daily Thanthi report, the incident occurred in the Urudayan Kudiyiruppu area on Sivasakthi Road between Tirunelveli Junction Sripuram and Thachanallur, where two communities reside.
A petrol bomb was allegedly thrown near the memorial stone of Muthuramalinga Thevar by two unidentified persons, who fled the spot.
Police led by Thachanallur Inspector Vimalan inspected the spot and found fragments of a glass bottle and a wick. The investigation found that a liquor bottle had allegedly been filled with petrol, fitted with a wick, set on fire and thrown at the memorial pedestal.
Police then examined CCTV footage from the area and identified the accused as Akashramadurai (22), son of Srinivasarajah, and Chandanakumar (21), both residents of the area.
Police said the two accused were being monitored after being included in the rowdy list.
The investigation also revealed a dispute over government-owned land located between the houses of the two communities. While the land can be used by both communities, individuals do not have ownership rights over it.
One group had taken steps to construct a roof at the site, while another group objected and lodged a complaint with Thachanallur police. Following the complaint, the work was temporarily stopped.
Police said the petrol bomb incident may have occurred following anger among members of the community over the dispute.