THENI: Superintendent of Police V Baskaran sustained grievous head injuries when a violent mob hurled stones at him in Saruthupatti near Lakshmipuram on Friday. Baskaran was in the area to prevent the simmering tension between the villagers of Saruthupatti and Lakshmipuram from snowballing.
Matters came to a head on Friday when a resident of Saruthupatti reached his village and claimed that he had been attacked by the rivals from Lakshmipuram. The angry Saruthupatti villagers assembled on the Theni-Periyakulam Main Road and blocked the traffic, demanding immediate arrest of the assailants.
On information about the traffic hold-up, Baskaran rushed to the spot and tried to hold a peace talks. However, even as efforts to soothe the frayed nerves were on, a few miscreants started pelting the police officials with stones. The violent attack left Baskaran injured. He was rushed to the government medical college and hospital at Kanavilakku, where he was given intensive treatment. A few police constables too sustained varying degrees on injuries and were admitted to GHs. A huge posse of police personnel was deployed to Saruthupatti and Lakshmipuram villages.