Tamil Nadu Government finds itself in a tight spot because of reported assaults on women by its own Ministers as well as a senior police officer. Video images of an Additional Police Commissioner by name Pandiarajan slapping a woman protester who was demonstrating against a liquor outlet in Tirupur district on Tuesday has gone viral.
The National Human Rights Commission has sent notices to the Government of Tamil Nadu, Chief secretry, DGP and the Superintendent of Police, Tirupur, calling for reports within two weeks on the incident and the police excesses in disbursing an unarmed crowd of 300 people, who staged a demonstration demanding the relocation of the liquor outlet.
Easwari, the 46-year-old woman, who was slapped by Pandiarajan, has complained of hearing loss after the incident.
In a hard-hitting report, the NHRC has said that the police acted in a despicable manner. “It appears the police had taken law in their hands by exceeding their power in resorting to indiscriminate beating of the protesters and infact a senior officer himself had gone to the extent of beating women who were standing helpless and defenseless. The reports indicate sad state of affairs in the place of incident wherein the innocent and peaceful protesters have been beaten resulting in severe injuries. The act of the police is nothing but serious violation of human rights and that too rights guaranteed to women for their self-respect,” said the NHRC in its letter to the Tamil Nadu Government.
In another incident, the Income Tax Department’s Investigation Wing has asked the Chennai City Police to register criminal cases against three Ministers of the Edappadi Palaniswamy Government and a senior AIADMK (Amma) leader for criminally intimidating and assaulting the department officials last Friday. The IT Department officials who went to the residence of Minister C Vijayabaskar for raiding the premises were assaulted by Ministers R Kamaraj, K Radhakrishnan, Kadambur Raju and special representative to Government of Tamil Nadu in New Delhi Thlavai Sundaram. It is also reported that a woman IT official in the team too has filed a separate complaint against the Ministers and the AIADMK (Amma) leader.