Three policemen surrounded an auto driver and his son
and allegedly beat them black and blue with a lathi in full public view
near Old Bus stand in Chengam, Tiruvannamalai district, on Monday. A
video of the assault on the family was aired on television and later
went viral on social media.
Usha, a town panchayat
sanitary worker and her husband Raja, an auto driver, along with their
17-year-old son Surya (17) were standing near Chengam Old Bus stand,
when Raja allegedly slapped Usha for purchasing gold jewellery in excess
of the planned budget.
Police head constables
Muruganandham, Vijayakumar and Nammazhvaar intervened and hit Raja twice
with a lathi. The family tried to explain the domestic dispute by the
policemen were in no mood to listen and continued beating Raja with
lathi. According to an eyewitness account, Raja, at one point in feeble
voice, questioned the policemen over why they were intervening when it
was his family issue. Enraged by this, the policemen allegedly went
berserk and started beating his son Surya indiscriminately with lathi
while Usha helplessly pleading them to leave her husband and son alone.
The trio, however, continued hitting hard and a few bystanders too, who
gathered the courage and question them, received beatings from the
policemen.
After the policemen left the place the
three victims were taken to Chengam Government Hospital. Sensing that
the issue was taking serious turn, other policemen rushed to hospital
and took the victims to police station and tried to strike a compromise.
Meanwhile the media aired the visuals.
When
asked for comments, Superintendent of Police R. Ponni said that the
three policemen have been transferred to Vellore Armed Reserve and
Chengam DSP would conduct enquiry. When asked won’t there be penal
action on them, she said that that would be decided after the enquiry.
People
of Thokkavadi village from where the victims hail gathered in front of
police station and demanded the three policemen be arrested and case
registered against them. As their demand was not met people barged into
road and staged road roko. Superintendent of Police rushed to the spot.
K.
Kumaresan, district secretariat Member of CPI (M), and a resident of
Chengam, said the three policemen who committed the offence should be
arrested. He said the injured victims were not even admitted to hospital
till 8.30 p.m.
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