Chennai: Social activists have demanded the police to take stringent action against a vegetable merchant for detaining a 7-year-old school student for more than six hours for plucking two mangoes from his garden in Tiruvannamalai on Friday.
After slapping the student the vegetable merchant Sigamani demanded Rs 10,000 from his relatives for releasing him from his garden at Nehru Nagar, Tiruvannamalai. The boy was released only at 4 pm after detaining him at the garden for six hours.
When a SI Jayaraman from Chengam police station, who came to the spot on information, not taken action against Sigamani and instead, the cop advised his relatives to pay the fine as demanded by the merchant. He also threatened his relatives including the mother of the boy that he would register false case against them.
The cop also threatened that he would register case against them for attempting to steal Sigamani's livestock tied inside the garden.
The family members are planning to lodge a petition with the Tiruvannamalai SP on Monday against the Chengam police officials and against Sigamni for detaining the boy for plucking two mangoes, which would cost about Rs 20.
A social activist, Rajamanickam said it is disheartening to note that the school student was illegally detained by the merchant for just taking two mangoes. Besides punishing Sigamani, authorities must take action against the cops who were rendering support to Sigamani.
