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The streets of Chennai were gripped with tension and panic as news of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's conviction in the 18-year-old disproportionate assets case spread.
People were scared to step out and many were seen hurrying back to the safety of their homes. Fearing violence, very few state buses were plying on the road. Even autorickshaws and private vehicles were hard to find.
Most of the shops had downed their shutters and police jeeps were seen patrolling the streets. Several policemen were posted at street corners.
Several college buses were plying on the roads transporting students back home.
Ganesh, a travel agent in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, said he had received cancellation requests from passengers for buses travelling from Chennai to the interior districts in the south.
AIADMK workers gathered at the East Coast Road, near Injambakkam and the toll plaza near Mayajaal multiplex to protest. Buses entering the city from Pondicherry via ECR were stopped at the outskirts.
There have been reports of buses being burnt in several areas. A state transport bus en route to Chennai from Kanchipuram was burnt near the Meenakshi Hospital, while several buses at the bus stand have been badly damaged.
In Velachery, an angry of mob of about 50 protestors armed with sticks and stones pelted the TNSC Bank windows. Torn pieces of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam flag were seen in the streets.