Othakadai residents demand action against illegal sale of liquor, ganja
The Hindu
Residents of Y. Othakadai in Madurai demand action against attackers and illegal activities, leading to protest and closed shops.
Residents of Y. Othakadai observed a fast and most of the commercial establishments in the area downed shutters on Monday demanding immediate action against the accused who attacked residents and a shopkeeper a few days ago. They also demanded the authorities to put an end to illegal sale of liquor and ganja in their area.
Condemning such repeated incidents in the area, the protesters said that some unidentified persons, under the influence of liquor, intimidated passersby and extracted money from them. If they were not inclined to part with the money, the drunk youth attacked them.
Citing an incident on April 22, the protesters said that a group of five inebriated men attacked an innocent pedestrian for no reason. A shopkeeper who came to his rescue was also badly beaten up.
“When people are already afraid to step out of their houses after watching the CCTV footages related to this, recurring incidents in the same place has instilled fear among the residents,” they added.
After the police assured the protesters that action would be taken against the perpetrators, they withdrew the protest. But the shops remained shut throughout the day.