CHENNAI: Seven people, including a village panchayat president, were booked for allegedly barring Dalits from entering a temple at Vazhuthalamedu near Gummidipoondi on August 9.

The members of the intermediary caste even stopped Dalits from walking on the street where the temple is situated. After their efforts to resolve the issue failed, the Tiruvallur district police officials and revenue authorities sealed the temple.

Meanwhile, based on a complaint, the Gummidipoondi police registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Vazhuthalamedu panchayat president Manimekalai and Devaraj, Raghunathan, Subramani, Ettiyappan, Murugan and Munuswamy.