Tension prevails in Pondy

The Times of India

Tension prevails in Pondy after three of a family commit suicide; protesters attack Aurobindo Ashram

Bosco Dominique,TNN | Dec 18, 2014, 03.39 PM IST

As soon as the news about the suicides spread, cadres of Party of India (Marxist), the Periyar Dravida Kazhagam and a few other outfits staged a protest in front of the ashram and government general hospital.

PUDUCHERRY: Tension prevailed in Puducherry on Thursday after two of the five sisters, who were evicted from Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and their mother committed suicide by jumping into the sea.

The bodies of Arunashri Prasad, her sister Rajyashree Prasad and her mother Shantidevi Prasad were washed ashore near Kottakuppam in the Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu. Police recovered the bodies and sent them for postmortem.

The other three sisters - Hemlata Prasad, Jayashreee Prasad and Nivedita Prasad - and their father Gadadhar Prasad, who attempted to end their lives, were rescued by fishermen and police. They were admitted to Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Research Institute. Their condition was said to be stable.

As soon as the news about the suicides spread, cadres of Party of India (Marxist), the Periyar Dravida Kazhagam and a few other outfits staged a protest in front of the ashram and government general hospital.

Some of them attempted to picket the ashram. However, by the time police had barricaded the vicinity. Police arrested dozens of protesters.

Later, protesters hurled stones at the ashram main building, a petrol bunk and a grocery store run by the ashram and damaged portraits of The Mother, Sri Aurobindo's spiritual collaborator, windows, doors, glass panes and computers and a few furniture items. Most of the establishments run by the ashram trust downed their shutters as a precautionary measure.

Police posted pickets at the ashram properties to prevent any further untoward incident.

An MLA of the ruling AINRC party sought a thorough inquiry into the death of the three women and suicide attempts of four others by an IAS officer. He also demanded that the Union government take the administrative control of the ashram trust.

Meanwhile, a host of Tamil outfits has decided to call for a token strike demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident.

 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tension-prevails-in-Pondy-after-three-of-a-family-commit-suicide-protesters-attack-Aurobindo-Ashram/articleshow/45561304.cms