Vellore: A palpable tension grips the towns of Tirupattur, Ambur, and Vaniyambadi as the Tirupattur District Principal Sessions Court is set to deliver its verdict today in the highly sensitive 2015 Ambur riot case. The judgment, initially scheduled for announcement on Tuesday, was postponed, heightening anxiety across the region. The case, which stems from the death of a young man following police interrogation and subsequent large-scale public violence, has been a festering wound for the community for nearly a decade. In response to the potential for unrest, authorities have enacted a major security lockdown, deploying over a thousand police personnel and establishing checkpoints at all key installations to maintain order.
The roots of this protracted legal battle trace back to June 2015, following the disappearance of a woman named Pavithra from Pallikonda. The investigation into her whereabouts led police to interrogate Shamil Ahmed, a 26-year-old from Ambur. Tragically, Shamil Ahmed died after his health severely deteriorated following the interrogation, during which the then-Pallikonda police inspector, Martin Premraj, was accused of administering a severe beating. The community’s anger over his death, perceived as a case of police brutality, ignited the tinderbox of public sentiment.
A Protest Descends into Chaos and Violence
The simmering anger exploded onto the streets on June 27, 2015, when more than 500 individuals gathered for a protest on the vital Chennai-Bangalore National Highway. What began as a demonstration demanding the arrest of the officers involved quickly spiraled into a full-scale riot. The agitators began pelting stones at passing buses, trucks, and private vehicles, causing extensive damage and injuring several passengers. The violence escalated as the mob stopped moving trucks to assault the drivers, creating a scene of widespread panic.
Police efforts to disperse the crowd with a baton charge were met with a fierce counter-assault of stone-pelting. The clash resulted in injuries to 54 police officers, including 15 women personnel, and Vellore Superintendent of Police Senthilkumari was among those injured and hospitalized. Overwhelmed and outnumbered, the police were forced to temporarily withdraw. The riot, which lasted for nearly five hours, paralyzed traffic on the national highway, forcing buses to be diverted and causing significant disruption. By the end of the violence, more than 30 government and private vehicles had been damaged.
A Decade of Waiting Culminates in a Heavily Fortified Verdict
In the aftermath, police arrested more than 190 individuals connected to the violence, and the case was transferred to the Crime Branch-CID (CBCID) for investigation. While the Madras High Court later granted conditional bail to 118 of the accused, the core trial has inched forward over the last ten years, culminating in this week’s anticipated verdict. The prolonged wait for justice has only intensified the emotions surrounding the case.
Recognizing the verdict’s potential to reignite tensions, the police have left nothing to chance. A formidable security contingent of over 1,200 personnel, led by Vellore SP Mayilvaganan, has been deployed across the district. Stringent security measures, including intensive vehicle checks and metal detector screenings, are in place at government offices, railway stations, bus stands, and educational institutions. The court premises in Tirupattur are under a particularly heavy security blanket, with everyone entering subjected to rigorous screening. As the district holds its breath, the police maintain a continuous vigil, ensuring that the delivery of justice proceeds peacefully.