KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Police detained 160 Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) supporters who took part in its 'rose' campaign near the Dataran Merdeka area here yesterday morning.

From the total, 151 were later released, including rally coordinator S. Manickavasagam and Hindraf adviser R. Raguram. Also released was an 11-year-old girl.

Nine others, aged 23 to 53, are expected to be taken to the magistrate's court to be remanded today.

City police chief Deputy Comm Mohammed Sabtu said the supporters, some from Penang, Kedah and Perak, had arrived here as early as 6pm on Friday.

He said police stopped a bus at the Sungai Besi toll plaza at 5am and detained 29 people, including Manickavasagam.

He said a 22-year-old constable was injured in the leg during the protest.

"We have already announced earlier that no permit had been given for this gathering," he told reporters.

The Hindraf supporters with children holding roses had planned to gather outside the Parliament building and the leaders wanted to hand over a memorandum on improving the lot of the Indian community.

Police had earlier set up road blocks and closed the road leading to Parliament building.

The road closures resulted in Hindraf changing their destination to the Suhakam office at Jalan Raja Laut.

At 9.20am, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd at Jalan Raja Laut after repeated warnings went unheeded.

Many of the supporters scattered to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Masjid Jamek areas.

Then the police began detaining those who refused to budge.

The supporters later moved to the Puduraya area where they gathered at a temple before proceeding to Pudu jail.

Raguram was arrested while giving a speech outside the temple at 12.25pm.

The Hindraf supporters who gathered at the temple dispersed at 1pm.