The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has strongly condemned the physical assault on its National General Secretary, Dr. V. Suresh—also a senior advocate of the Madras High Court—during a public hearing in Tirunelveli on Sunday. The event, organised by Arappor Iyakkam (People’s Campaign for Justice), was meant to address villagers’ grievances over alleged illegal stone quarrying and the resulting environmental damage in the district.
According to PUCL, the public hearing at Rose Mahal in Tirunelveli began peacefully at 10:30 a.m., with participants including Dr. Suresh, Arappor Iyakkam organiser Mr. Jayaraman, and Mr. Nandakumar of Thannatchi (Self-Rule Movement). Around 11 a.m., a group of approximately 25 individuals—claiming to represent quarry owners—entered the venue, allegedly led by Mr. Vinoth Kumar and Mr. Arogiyasamy. They reportedly began disrupting the proceedings, shouting and threatening to stop the meeting.
Despite repeated requests from Dr. Suresh to maintain calm and assurances that the group would be given equal opportunity to present their views, the disruption escalated. PUCL said one of the individuals hurled a chair aimed at Dr. Suresh, striking him on the back of the head and causing a bleeding injury. He was immediately taken to a local hospital for treatment and is reported to be in stable condition, though experiencing pain.
Two others from the same group allegedly threw chairs at the audience, creating panic among those present. PUCL stated that the violence was a deliberate attempt to silence villagers who sought to testify about the environmental and social impact of illegal mining operations.
The organisation described the incident as “a criminal act meant to suppress citizens’ fundamental rights to free speech and peaceful assembly,” guaranteed under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. It alleged that the attackers were “hired agents of the mining mafia” seeking to intimidate both the villagers and those legally challenging mining interests.
PUCL further expressed concern that the attackers might enjoy political backing from individuals across party lines who benefit from illegal mining activities. The organisation also criticised the police response, noting that despite being present, officers detained only one person. It demanded that all perpetrators be identified and arrested “without political bias.”
Calling for immediate security for Dr. Suresh, Mr. Jayaraman, and others associated with the campaign against illegal quarrying, PUCL vowed to continue its support for those upholding constitutional values.
“The attack on Dr. Suresh is an attempt to intimidate a longstanding advocate for justice and environmental protection,” PUCL said in its statement. “We will not be silenced by such thuggish tactics. The right to speak, assemble, and protest is fundamental to democracy.”
The statement was signed by PUCL National President Kavita Srivastava, PUCL Tamil Nadu–Puducherry President R. Murali, and State General Secretary Sekhar Annadurai.
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