CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to Coimbatore City Police Commissioner over a police officer assaulting people at an eatery, including its staff as well as the customers.
Kattur (Coimbatore) Sub Inspector S. Muthu had assaulted customers and employees at a restaurant, alleging that the Gandhinagar eatery was open even after the permitted time. While the incident occurred at 10.20 p.m. on Sunday, the permitted time as per the Covid 19 protocol is 11 p.m. with 50 per cent occupancy.
The State Human Rights Commission has now served a notice to Coimbatore City Police Commissioner, S. Davidson Devasirvatham, seeking an explanation of the incident.
Raghuram Muthuvel, a customer at the eatery in Gandhinagar, tols IANS, "The officer was hurling abuses at us even as we were with our family members. He assaulted the customers who were at the restaurant and the employees were also not spared. It was only 10.20 p.m., which was much earlier than the permitted time for the eateries to close, which is 11 p.m. It was rampant hooliganism and the women and children were shocked to see such an act by an officer who is supposed to protect the people."
The AIADMK government has drawn a lot of flak over police excesses in Tamil Nadu, especially after the deaths of a father-son duo, Jayaraj and Bennicks, in police custody at a police station in Thoothukudi on June.