Turf war and disputes over territorial jurisdiction between neighbouring police stations in Coimbatore district helped five women, who were lodged in a Government home, to escape without leaving any trace on late Saturday night. The incident which came to light on Monday sounds like a comic incident in Tamil movie.
It all began late Saturday night when five women, who were arrested by the police on charges of prostitution and lodged in the Government Home for Women near Ganapathy, threw chilly powder on the faces of warden and cook, tied them up with sarees and took to their heels. Interestingly, the five women changed their dress before breaking open the gate and vanished into the darkness.
The warden and cook managed to wriggle out of the knots and started crying for help. Workers at a nearby shop, who heard the cries, rushed to the Government home and were told about the daredevil act of the women inmates. They immediately alerted the City Police Control Room.
The control room officials passed on the message to Saravanampatty police station. A team from Saravanapatty rushed to the spot and held preliminary enquiries. But there was a hitch. The Government home, where the incident happened was not under their territorial jurisdiction. Hence they informed the Thudiyalur police and left the spot.
The Thudiyalur Police Station staff too washed their hands off saying the same reason. Territorial jurisdiction came in the way of Thudiyalur Police registering a case.
After a ‘brainstorming session’ at the control room, the police station at Rathinapuri was asked to register the case and took charge of the investigation. The police staff at Rathinapuri too had the same problem. They were reluctant to enter an area which was beyond their jurisdiction too.
The dispute and discussion over the jurisdiction of Ganapathy Government Women Home continued till 10 am on Sunday before the control room officials succeeded in making Coimbatore Rural Thudiyalur Police agree to take up the probe.
“We are not sure whether the locality comes under our jurisdiction. We have registered a case and an inquiry is on,” S Vetrivendhan, inspector, Thudiyalur Police Station, told reporters.
The formal investigation of the incident which was supposed to happen at 8.30 pm on Saturday began at 10.30 am Sunday. “Chances are that the five would have crossed the national boundaries,” said a constable.
Disputes over territorial jurisdiction are happening at a time when the State authorities claim that the police department in Tamil Nadu has been brought under complete computer network and Global Positioning System. The escaped women remained untraced even on Tuesday.