Police SSI fatally attacked for rebuking youth for violation on Deepavali night

    Theni (Tamil Nadu), Nov 9 (PTI) A Special Sub-Inspector of police was fatally attacked by a group of youngsters for rebuking them for bursting firecrackers in the middle of a public road and blocking traffic on Deepavali night in this district, an official said on Monday.

    Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced a relief of Rs 40 lakh for the family of the SSI.

    According to the police official, SSI K Senthil Kumar, who was returning home after work in civilian clothes, noticed a group of local youth bursting high-decibel firecrackers directly in the middle of a public road at Samadharmapuram.

    They had blocked vehicular traffic so they could film video reels for social media.

    Kumar (56), who was attached to the Theni DSP office, took note of the public nuisance and traffic disruption, scolded the youth, and advised them to move to the side of the road. However, the group ignored his warning and argued with him.

    The SSI then pulled out his mobile phone and began to record a video of their violations to send to the police control room. Enraged by this, the gang surrounded and physically assaulted him, the official said.

    During the ensuing scuffle, the SSI tried to apprehend one of them but was hit hard, receiving a severe elbow blow that caused him to lose balance, collapse, and lose consciousness. He was rushed to the Theni Government Medical College Hospital but succumbed to his injuries on Monday, the police official said.

    The police noted that the officer had a pre-existing heart condition which likely compounded the fatal effect of the physical assault.

    Following the incident, the Theni police made multiple arrests and are investigating further.

    According to a release from the state government, Kumar was attached to the Palanichettipatti police station but was on deputation at the Theni Deputy Superintendent of Police camp office.

    Expressing his profound grief over the incident, CM Vijay stated that the untimely demise of the officer is an irreparable loss to both the state police department and his family.

    Apart from offering his deepest condolences to the bereaved family, relatives, and colleagues, the chief minister ordered an immediate relief of Rs 40 lakh to support the grieving family.

    Paying tributes to his sacrifice, the police said Kumar "laid down his life in the line of duty to protect the public, even after completing his duty hours."

    Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said under the current rule, there is no safety for the people or policemen who are supposed to protect the people.

    The law and order situation in the state was going out of control, he said, and claimed that a Deputy Speaker beat up the people who came to petition him and even threatened them. "This is a disgrace that Tamil Nadu has never seen before. The day is not far when these circus rulers will answer for the tears and bloodshed of the people of Tamil Nadu," Udhayanidhi said on 'X'.

    AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the murders on a single day coinciding with Deepavali reflected the status of the prevailing law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. It also deteriorated to the point where the entire state is seeing bloodshed.

    "The TVK government has pushed the law and order situation to the point where rowdies and criminals are roaming the streets fearlessly, threatening to kill those who confront them," Palaniswami said in a statement.

    "The most horrific of the crimes is the shocking beating of SSI Senthil Kumar, who was supposed to protect the public in Theni, by rowdies. If even the Khaki shirt is not safe here, where is the safety for the common people," he asked.

    He further said, "Will this 'reel' Chief Minister @actorVijay now understand that politics is not a cinema set; and the Chief Minister's chair is not a platform for delivering 'punch dialogue'?"

    The former CM demanded that the government provide Rs 1 crore as compensation to the police official who died in the line of duty.

    Expressing shock over the incident, PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss said strict action must be taken to maintain law and order without any compromise.

    "As many as 10 people, including a police Special Sub-Inspector, were murdered in various incidents across Tamil Nadu, from Chennai to Theni, during the Deepavali festival. It is condemnable that even police personnel entrusted with maintaining law and order are now facing a situation where their own safety cannot be guaranteed," he said.

    Tamil Nadu BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy claimed that the law-and-order situation in the state has deteriorated to a dangerous level, and the role of liquor and rising drug peddling can no longer be ignored.

    "A uniformed police officer was killed by a drunken mob, and a rowdy was killed in a brawl ...the state's control over public spaces has clearly weakened," he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)