Police firing on Dalits: Toll rises to seven     

     Paramakudi(TN), Sep 12 (PTI) With two more persons
 succumbing to injuries at a hospital, the death toll in the
 police firing on a stone-pelting mob of Dalits, who indulged
 in violence following detention of their leader John Pandian,
 has risen to seven, police here in southern state of Tamil
 Nadu said on Monday.
        Two persons identified as Teerpukani and Vellaichamy
 succumbed to injuries late Sunday night.
        Officials have suspended bus services to the rural areas
 in the sensitive districts, including Ramanathapuram, Madurai,
 Sivaganga and Virudhunagar as a precautionary step.
        Additional police reinforcement have been brought from
 Tiruchirappalli, police said.
        Violence broke out on Sunday after news spread that
 Pandian had been detained at Tuticorin en route to Paramakudi
 when he was on his way to pay homage to Dalit leader Imanuel
 Sekar on his death anniversary.
        Police used tear gas and batons before firing at the
 crowd at Paramakudi. Several people and police officials,
 including DIG Sandeep Mittal and SP Senthil Velan and DSP
 Ganesan were injured in the stone pelting. More than 15
 vehicles were set ablaze in the violence.
        Police said they had arrested 57 persons in Tirumangalam
 and more than 50 in Paramakudi for indulging in violence.
        Local Dalit leaders blamed police for not making proper
 arrangements to manage the huge crowd expected for paying
 homage to the Dalit leader.
        However, defending the police firing, Chief Minister
 Jayalalithaa had Sunday blamed some people for disrupting
 law and order "for their own political gains."
        "The protesters indulged in large-scale violence and
 torched police vehicles. Police opened fire in self defence
 and to protect public property", Jayalalithaa, who announced
 Rs one lakh compensation to the next of kin of those killed,
 said. PTI SSN
 AGL