Coimbatore : Sivasubramanian, the owner of the house the compound wall of which collapsed on a row of houses leading to the death of 17 persons in a village near Mettupalayam in the district Monday, was arrested today.

The wall around the house of Sivasubramanian in Co-operative Colony in Nadur village had collapsed on four houses resulting in loss of seventeen lives.

The family members of the victims and Dalit outfits such as Tamil Puligal and Dravida Viduthalai Iyakkam had demonstrated demanding the arrest of Sivasubramaniam, against whom case under 304 A (causing death by negligence) was registered.

Even, DMK President, M K Stalin, who visited and consoled the bereaved families on Tuesday also said that timely action by the administration to demolish the wall could have saved the lives , as the villagers had complained about the danger posed by it and urged the government to arrest the house owner immediately.

MPs from Tamil Nadu have raised the issue in the Parliament and requested to deputy Chairman of Scheduled Caste Commission for an on the spot study.

Meanwhile, nearly 80 persons, including a few women, belonging to various organisations, were arrested here for attempting to stage a protest seeking the immediate release of 25 persons, arrested during the agitation at Mettupalayam Govenrment Hospital Monday.

Sivasubramanian, a textile shop owner, who was at large since Monday was arrested this afternoon at Mettupalayam and is being interrogated by police.