Madurai hotel owners protest against threat to member’s life

Chennai

The incident resulted in minor injuries to two hotel employees in addition to damage to hotel property, according to the Gouri Krishna Hotel owner Muthukrishnan.

The CCTV footage in the hotel was handed over to the city police commissioner and district collector who were petitioned by the Madurai Hotels Association the next day. According to Madurai Hotels Association president K. Lakshmana Kumar, lawyer Karmegam had demanded payment of Rs.1 crore to allow Muthukrishnan to use government poromboke land in front of his hotel as a car park.

When the latter failed to oblige, Karmegam started constructing a building in the car park, the petition  said and added that many cases were pending against the offender who was on bail in some cases. Around 6 p.m. on Saturday, Karmegam came to the spot and smashed the  hotel’s glass window by throwing a rock. Then he got into his SUV and rammed into the hotel at high speed, injuring two hotel employees even as the crowd in front of the hotel ran helter-skelter. When he got down and started abusing the hotel staff, he was caught and handed over to the police. Karmegam got himself admitted to a hospital citing health reasons, Lakshmana Kumar said.  

TN Hotels Association president Venkatasubbu said, “Threats to the life and property of hotel owners  running legitimate business should not be held out by such anti-social elements.” Lakshmana Kumar added, “the district association has decided to act as oral and written complaints in the past have failed to have any effect. If action is not taken immediately, association members will down the shutters,” he warned. “As association members’ hotels are numerous in the district, their closure will definitely affect people specially during the run-up to the ensuing elections,” he said.