Anti-KNPP protests turn violent, one dies in police firing
10 Sep 2012
Protests erupted again near the Kudankulam nuclear power plant near Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, resulting in the death of a fisherman when police opened fire on anti-nuclear protesters who went berserk and torched local administrative offices.
The 44-year old fisherman was killed when police opened fire at a group of people who clashed with them and blocked a road in Manapad coastal village even as they set fire to various local government offices.
Over 2,000 protesters fought pitched battles throwing stones and logs at the police, who initially resorted to lathi-charge and burst teargas shells to disperse them.
Sporadic violence followed and groups of protesters set fire to a local panchayat office, the village administrative officer's office and a state-run liquor retail shop in Kudankulam.
The police firing came after authorities failed to persuade the protesters who, for the second day, defied prohibitory orders and stayed put at the seashore, about 500 metres away from the Kudankulam plant.
Protest spread to neighbouring Tuticorin district and opposition leader in neighbouring Kerala also lent support to the stir, embarrassing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the process.
