Kozhikode, June 26: Rehabilitation works, which began yesterday at nearby Marad, where nine persons were killed in violence on may two, was temporarily withheld this morning owing to stiff resistance from locals who opposed the return of displaced families of minority community. Any decision on carrying out further rehabilitation works would be taken up only after a state cabinet sub-committee meeting to be held on June 29, official sources here said.
The decision followed the refusal of the Araya Samajam leaders to hold talks with the district administration on the issue today, they said. Two families were brought back to their homes at Marad yesterday amid tight police security but a strong group of local people opposed it alleging that the members were relatives of some of the key accused in the case.
While the agitators, mostly women, demanded that the families immediately leave the place, police officials, led by city commissioner, T K Vinod Kumar, after holding prolonged discussions with Araya Samajam leaders, managed to disperse the crowd late last night. Meanwhile, the two families left the place this morning after locals laid siege to their houses since yesterday. A heavy posse of police personnel had been deployed in the beach area to prevent any untoward incident. Bureau Report