A woman vice-president of the Kandamangalam panchayat near Kattumannarkovil in Cuddalore district was arrested on Sunday on the charge of hitting a deputy block development officer with her footwear at the Gram Sabha meeting.
The police said the incident occurred around noon. Over 300 villagers attended the meeting, chaired by panchayat president K. Sivagami, 75, and supervised by deputy block development officer Ravichandran, 50, when vice-president Saranya Kumar, 33, of Athangarai Street, hit him with her footwear.
The police said trouble was brewing in the panchayat for some time because of differences between the president and the vice-president. In March, Ms. Saranya lodged a complaint against the panchayat president’s son Shankar and Mr. Ravichandran, accusing them of threatening her and refusing to provide her with the panchayat’s passbook during a meeting. It is learnt that subsequently, Ms. Saranya did not turn up during the inquiry into her complaint.
Incidentally, Ms. Sivagami and Mr. Ravichandran belong to the Scheduled Caste, while Ms. Saranya is a Vanniyar, a dominant most backward community.
Soon after Ms. Saranya attacked Mr. Ravichandran, the locals attempted to stage a ‘road roko’. The police intervened and arrested her. Acting on the complaint filed by the Deputy BDO, the police booked a case against her under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 355 (whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person, intending thereby to dishonour that person) of the Indian Penal Code.
