The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Head constable suspended for harassing motorist

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Head constable suspended for harassing motorist

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, APRIL 13. A head constable attached to the Tiruvanmiyur police station has been suspended on charges of harassing a motorist.

The suspension was made following an enquiry by the Adyar district police after the motorist complained that the constable and a driver of a police patrol vehicle harassed him and demanded Rs. 5,000.

The motorist, a car mechanic, said he was returning home in a car on the East Coast Road on Friday night. At Tiruvanmiyur, the vehicle dashed against a temple. The constable and the driver of the Armed Reserve police, who were present at the spot, approached the mechanic and asked him to produce his driver's license. The mechanic produced the license and the related documents.

The mechanic was accompanied by his cousin sister and another friend. The policemen spoke in a filthy language and also snatched the licenses of the mechanic and his friend. The policemen demanded Rs. 5,000 and threatened to frame charges against the mechanic if he failed to part with the cash. The mechanic parted with Rs. 500 and said that he did not have any more money. The head constable also noted down the mobile number of the mechanic and also retained the licenses.

On Saturday morning, the constable called the mechanic on his mobile and asked him to come to Besant Nagar to hand over the cash. The motorist said he did not have the cash and asked for some more time. The constable called again in the evening and said he was waiting near the Music Academy and asked the mechanic to come there immediately with the cash. The mechanic said he could arrange the money only after pledging his relative's jewels. The constable abused the mechanic and threatened to frame charges against the latter.

Unable to bear the harassment, the mechanic met R. Nataraj, the city police commissioner, on Sunday morning and gave a written complaint to him. Following this, a departmental enquiry was conducted.

After the charges were found to be true, the head constable was suspended. The Armed Reserve police are also investigating the charges against the patrol vehicle driver.

A senior police officer admitted that the policemen were at fault and that they had indulged in extortion. Such indiscipline would not be tolerated and appropriate action would be taken against policemen indulging in similar activities, the officer added.

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