Peace meeting held in Sengottai to defuse tension

As many as 74 persons representing both the groups attended the meeting, which also saw the participation of senior police and revenue department officials.

Inspector General of Police (South Zone) K P Shanmuga Rajeswaran, District Superintendent of Police P Arun Sakthi Kumar, Tenkasi Revenue Divisional Officer Soundarapandian and Sengottai Tahsildar Venkatachalam were present at the one-hour meeting.

In an effort to encourage communal harmony, a team of government officials are also undertaking a door-to-door exercise of counselling the local community.

However, as a precautionary measure aimed at preventing the assembly of a large crowd, Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish re-imposed the prohibitory orders invoked under Section 144 of the CrPC. It will remain in force till 6 am on September 22. 

The curfew, first imposed on Friday, was lifted at 6 am on Saturday only to be reintroduced later in the evening.

A large crowd thronged the Sengottai taluk office on Saturday evening demanding the authorities not to initiate action against students involved in the clashes. 

Superintendent of Police Arun Sakthi Kumar, while addressing those gathered, said the police would not target persons who had no connection to the incident. Only the guilty would be punished, he said.