Massive brawl erupts between Tamil Nadu students & toll plaza staff in Andhra's Tirupati

A massive brawl broke out at a toll plaza in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati on October 23, Sunday, after Tamil Nadu law students were stopped owing to a payment-related issue. The students reportedly also damaged several nearby vehicles as they went on a rampage and attacked the toll booth personnel with helmets.

The incident reportedly took place near the SV Puram toll plaza in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati on Sunday. After an exam, students from a law school in Tamil Nadu were heading home when one of the students' cars was stopped at the toll plaza due to the alleged failure of his FASTag payment. However, the student alleged that he had enough balance in his FASTag account and the scanning machine was at fault.

The toll plaza officials, however, insisted that the student pay the toll and move aside so that the other vehicles in line behind it could pass. Following this, other students in the group arrived to support the student. Enraged by the situation, the students got into a heated argument with the toll plaza staff, and reportedly attacked the plaza employees with helmets.

Andhra Pradesh toll plaza brawl

According to the media reports, following the clash, the Tamil Nadu students only allowed all the TN-registered vehicles to pass the toll plaza while not permitting the Andhra-registered vehicles. Following this, a massive brawl broke out between the students on one side and the toll plaza staff and locals on the other side. 

As per the visuals, the students and toll plaza employees were seen fighting, attacking each other with rods and helmets. They were also seen throwing punches and kicks at each other. Notably, the police rushed to the spot and tried to end the brawl at the toll plaza. According to media reports, the police have registered a case and launched a probe into the matter, ensuring that strict action will be taken against those involved.

What is FASTag?

A FASTag is an electronic toll collection system operated by NHAI. It uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to collect toll payments directly from a linked account. It is fixed in the front of the vehicle and allows one to drive through tolls without stopping for payments.

Image: Twitter/@TkGAMERS5