17 cops injured in Kallakurichi violence: SP

CHENNAI: At least 17 police personnel were injured in the riots that broke out in Kallakurichi on Sunday over a school girl’s death, Kallakurichi SP S Selvakumar said.

"The 17 injured include the DIG and SP. We have tried to handle the situation as delicately as possible and no arms were used on the protesters. We held talks with the protestors and tried to calm the situation, but rioters had already done significant damage," the SP told reporters

He added that the crowd was less in the morning and around 450 police personnel were engaged in security work, but crowd increased as time went by. As protesters pelted stones at policemen and smashed, and set fire to the vehicles parked in the school premises. To control the situation, police fired in the air at least twice.

On July 13, R Srimathi (17), who belongs to Periyanesalur village in the Cuddalore district was found dead in the premises of the school hostel. The girl, an inmate of a room on the third floor of the hostel, is suspected to have ended her life by jumping from the top floor.