A Metropolitan Transport Corporation driver died after he was allegedly assaulted during a clash linked to a Vinayagar Chaturthi procession in Chennai’s Ramapuram area in the early hours of Tuesday, with Ramapuram police arresting five people in connection with the case, according to a report by the Times of India.
The procession was organised by Arulmigu Raja Ganapathi Temple in Venkateswara Nagar and began at around 11pm. When the procession reached 13th Street, some residents asked that the Vinayagar chariot be taken through their street, while another group opposed the request.
Police personnel deployed for the procession intervened and dispersed the two groups after holding talks, the report said. The dispute later escalated after a group led by a man identified as Bhuvanesh went to the house of a resident, Anees, on 2nd Main Road and called him outside.
An altercation then broke out between the groups. During the confrontation, Anand allegedly struck Srinivasan, an MTC bus driver, on the chest from behind. Srinivasan collapsed and lost consciousness, according to the reported police account.
Passers-by took Srinivasan to a nearby private hospital on a two-wheeler, where he received first aid. He was subsequently referred to the ESI Hospital in K K Nagar for further treatment. Doctors at the hospital later declared him dead.
Ramapuram police registered a case and arrested five people from the two groups in connection with the incident. The arrests followed a procession that had required police intervention earlier in the night after residents disagreed over the route of the chariot.
The incident has affected a public transport worker and occurred during a procession for which police personnel had already been deployed. Further legal action will depend on the investigation into the alleged assault, the death and the involvement of those arrested.
