The Hindu : Front Page : Railway gatekeeper roughed up by police

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Monday, Nov 17, 2008
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Railway gatekeeper roughed up by police

L. Srikrishna

MADURAI: An Inspector of Police and three policemen allegedly abused and roughed up a railway gatekeeper at Kappalur railway gate near here in the early hours of Sunday.The gatekeeper, Seenivasagam, has been admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital for treatment.

Police sources said that when the Inspector attached to Tirumangalam police station was on night rounds, he directed his driver to proceed to Kappalur. As the railway gate was closed, the driver asked the gatekeeper to open the gate.

Since the gatekeeper did not open the gate immediately, the policemen got annoyed and picked up a wordy altercation which ended in an assault.

As the news spread, gatekeepers on the Madurai-Tirumangalam stretch demanded legal action against the policemen and threatened to go on a flash strike. Railway union office-bearers pacified the agitators.

A senior railway official said that, “the gatekeeper must seek permission from the nearby Station Manager to unlock the gate for allowing road traffic…The process takes some time.”

Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (Madurai division) secretary J. M. Rafi said that the erring policemen should be taken to task as per the law.

Superintendent of Police M. Manohar, who visited the police station, said that based on a complaint from the gatekeeper, a case has been registered on charges of abuse, causing simple injuries and preventing the public servant from discharging his duties. “We will investigate into the complaint and take action as per the law,” he said

The Inspector of Police, it is learnt, was on his way to check the night beats in the interior pockets of Kappalur and had requested the gatekeeper to keep the gate open. The police personnel said that they would present their case with the railway officials.

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