Kallakurichi: A 15-member gang allegedly barged into the house of a local social activist at Vaipalayam near Ulundurpet in Kallakurichi district, physically assaulted two women members of his family, and issued death threats.While the victims maintained that the assault was an act of retaliation by the local sand mafia, police officials downplayed the allegations, claiming the clash was unrelated to sand smuggling. Investigators stated that the scuffle broke out between two local groups over the felling of trees on forest department land, where one group attempted to cut a tree and the other tried to stop them. Further investigations are underway.According to one of the victims, Bakkiyalakshmi, 38, her relative Ramesh, a social activist, had informed the police about illegal sand mining and smuggling in the area. On Monday, while Ramesh was away in Viluppuram on personal work, the gang arrived at his residence and verbally abused his younger brother, who is physically challenged, for allegedly reporting illegal sand mining to the authorities.Hearing the commotion, Ramesh’s daughter Akshaya, a college student, confronted the gang. The assailants allegedly tore her clothes and attacked her. When her aunt, Bakkiyalakshmi, rushed to intervene, the gang assaulted her as well before issuing death threats.Alerted by the screams, residents rushed to the spot, rescued the two injured women, and admitted them to the Ulundurpet Government Hospital for treatment.Based on a complaint filed by the victims, the Thirunavalur police registered a case against the unidentified assailants and launched an investigation.
