Chennai: About 40 people, including some authors, were on Monday detained when they raised slogans seeking justice for slain journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh at the Gandhi Statue near the Marina Beach here, police said.
According to a senior police official, those detained were lodged in a marriage hall and later let off in the evening.
Among those detained were some academicians and authors including professor Mangai and Manushyaputhiran.
Police said a group of persons, including some from a youth outfit, arrived at the spot to garland the statue of Mahatma Gandhi as part of seeking justice for Lankesh, gunned down by unidentified persons in Bengaluru last month.
When they were told that only one person could go ahead, an argument ensued before police detained them.
“Among those who were detained included academicians, authors and some youth. They were released in the evening”, Mangai told a news agency.
Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, condemned the detention of the authors and academicians.
Stating that several people paid their respects to the statue of Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi, the association alleged police “forcibly” evicted the authors and academicians who raised slogans near the statue.
“We strongly condemn the incident. It is undemocratic” the association state President S Tamilselvan said in a statement.
