Tiruvannamalai: Seven-year-old detained for six hours for plucking mangoes

TIRUVANNAMALAI: A 7-year-old boy was allegedly detained for more than six hours by a vegetable merchant for plucking two mangoes from his garden at Nehru Nagar in Tiruvannamalai on Friday.
The boy’s uncle, Chinnarasu, said, “On Friday, my brother’s elder son Dhuruvan, on way to school, plucked two mangoes from the garden of vegetable merchant Sigamani Mudaliar, 55.”
Angry, Sigamani slapped the schoolboy and detained him at the garden and had demanded Rs 10,000 for Dhuruvan’s release. Though the boy’s grandmother and uncle apologized, Sigamani detained Dhuruvan for more than 6 hours, said Chinnarasu.
“We informed the Chengam police station. However, officers headed by sub-inspector Jayaram who came to the spot did not take any action against Sigamani. Instead, they threatened me and my mother with fake cases.
The SI who insisted us to pay the amount demanded by Sigamani said he would lodge a case claiming we had attempted to steal Sigamani’s livestock tied inside the garden.” Chinnarasu said. However, Dhuruvan was let go around 4pm. Dhuruvan’s family member said they would lodge a petition with the Tiruvannamalai SP on Monday against the Chengam police officials’ ‘biased investigation’.
When TOI contacted a senior police officer at Tiruvannamalai SP office, he assured to take appropriate action following an enquiry at the earliest. Sakthivel, 29, of Chengam town, and Kumudha, 25, have two sons and two daughters. Six months ago, the couple migrated to Kerala for job leaving their children, including Dhuruvan, with Sakthivel’s mother Chinnapappa, 55, and his younger brother Chinnarasu.