Chennai: The City police arrested four persons on Friday on a charge of attacking a policeman on duty after a video of the incident went viral in the social media. The cop received blows profusely from them and they also damaged his walkie-talkie a week ago. The video went viral twice within eight days.
In the video four men were seen beating police constable Karthikeyan, in uniform, in the middle of a road, as vehicles pass by. As the cop received heavy blows he frantically tries to block them to save himself. While one of the four men moved away only to return and beat the policeman, another man walks towards the camera and pushes it down. Claiming to be advocates, they attacked the cop.
The incident took place on June 13th night on Kodambakkam high road. Constable Karthikeyan noticed four men were drunk and allegedly trying to heckle some people on the roadside. After Karthikeyan told them to move away from the place, the four persons, attacked him. They had snatched his walkie-talkie and broken it but Karthikeyan called other policemen through his mobile to come to his rescue. The gang escaped from the place soon as a police team began reaching the spot.
The Pondy Bazzar police have arrested Sudalaimani (33) and M Mohammed Riswan (34) from Seven Wells, K Afsar Husain (35) from Royapuram and K Mohammed Ali (32) of Pavakkara street, Chennai. They were remanded to judicial custody on Friday.
Karthikeyan, admitted in Royapettah Government General hospital, said the accused were drunk and started attacking him. The cops are collecting footages from nearby CCTVs regarding the incident.
Speaking to DC, social activist Ramajayam said "Footages of CCTVs come in handy in the investigation of crime, but they are not helpful in preventing the occurrence of crime. Installing CCTVs, a pet project of Commissioner, has not prevented crime in the city. They are only reactive and not proactive. They help solve crime by providing footage of crime scene after the crime takes place and not prevent the crime before it takes place.
Incidents of attacking Karthikeyan and students tumbling down from MTC bus after the driver applies the brake during bus day celebration by the students in Chennai recently.
There is hardly any monitoring done on the CCTVs in the City."
Retired SP, M. Karunanidhi, said the police department has been raising awareness about installing CCTVs in all neigbourhoods, shops and commercial
establishments. Gradually, the people are installing the CCTVs in most of the places. The footages from the CCTVs help the cops to crack crimes. Police personnel are monitoring the CCTVs in many places. Noticing the CCTVs, persons may also hesitate to commit crimes.
