Chennai, Sep 11 (IANS): Three people died when the police opened fire on a stone-pelting mob of angry Dalits at Paramakudi in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu Sunday, police said.

The mob was potesting the detention of John Pandian, founder of Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhgam.

In a separate incident, in Madurai, two persons were injured when police opened fire to disperse a crowd also demanding Pandian's release.

Violence erupted in Paramakudi, around 450 km from Chennai, after the Tuticorin police detained Pandian when he was on his way to participate in Dalit leader Emmanuel Sekaran's memorial celebrations.

According to the police, supporters of Pandian protested on the road and later started pelting stones, injuring several policemen.

The police first started lathi charged the mob. As the protest turned intense, with the mob setting fire to some police vehicles, police was ordered to open fire.

Following news of the firing, more people gathered at the spot and the police cordoned off the entire district.

According to the police, several vehicles bringing in people had been stopped outside Ramanathapuram.

Police said several of their vehicles have been damaged in the attack and some had been set on fire.