Police seal Kudankulam from all sides

As tension simmered, the security forces sealed almost the entire town housing the atomic power plant on Wednesday, with the anti-nuclear movement leader S P Udayakumar remaining elusive after a somersault on his surrender offer.

Kudankulam, the hotbed of the over year-long protests which turned violent on Monday, has almost been sealed by armed policemen who took positions at important places, especially around the power project site, allowing transportation of only essential commodities while clamping down on strangers.

The police said that they were checking vehicles and sealed areas around the nuclear plant, as shops in nearby Idinthakarai and some other areas remained closed for the third day on Wednesday. Bus services remained off roads in and around Kudankulam.

The inspector general of police Rajeshi Dass told reporters that police were searching for Udayakumar and several others in connection with the Monday's violence.