11 pro-Tamil activists held in connection with footwear

Eleven pro-Tamil activists have been arrested in connection with the footwear hurling episode during an IPL tie here, police said today.

A number of pro-Tamil outfits had staged agitations here yesterday against the conduct of Indian Premier League, saying it was being held to divert attention from the ongoing protests seeking formation of Cauvery Management Board.

Police said the 11 were also arrested for raising slogans on the Cauvery issue.

The footwear was thrown into the ground when the Chennai Super Kings-Kolkata Knight Riders IPL match was in progress at the M A Chidambaram Stadium last night.

Their action had amounted to affecting public peace, a police release said.

They were produced before a court and remanded to custody, it added.

Similarly 10 persons were arrested for allegedly attacking a policeman while staging anti-IPL protests, another release said.

When the accused were stopped from proceeding to the stadium, they allegedly attacked a policeman, it said.

The injured policeman suffered a cut in his lip and lost three teeth as a result of the assault, before he was rushed to a hospital, the release said.

Police were on the lookout for two other persons wanted in connection with the incident.