Tamil Nadu: SSI fails to respond quickly to assault case, suspended

COIMBATORE: Special sub-inspector of police Premkumar, who was attached to the Kuniyamuthur police station, was placed under suspension on Monday for responding to an assault case three hours late. Meanwhile, an AIADMK councillor was arrested in connection with the case.
Police said Premkumar received an intimation report from the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital about the admission of V Karthikeyan, 44, of Alamelu Nagar at Kovaipudur, around 3am on Monday. Karthikeyan, a DMK member and a real estate dealer, was assaulted by five men.
“Karthikeyan is also a member of the Corporation badminton court at Marutham Nagar in Kovaipudur. He is responsible for collecting fees from the members and maintenance of the court,” a police officer said.
D Ramesh, the councillor of ward 90, and his friends, C Johnson, 31, S Abuthagir, 37, S Sathrak, 21 and Martin, all from Kovaipudur, paid only the monthly fee of 500 and failed to pay the membership fee, 1,000, the officer said. “On Sunday night, Karthikeyan met Ramesh and his friends and demanded the money. They refused to pay the money, abused Karthikeyan in foul language and assaulted him,” the officer added.
After receiving the intimation report, instead of going to the hospital at the earliest, Premkumar went to the hospital around 6am and recorded Karthikeyan’s statements, the officer said. Premkumar, later, registered a case against Ramesh and his friends.
Subsequently, police arrested Ramesh, Johnson, Abuthagir and Sathrak. The arrested men were later released on station bail. Another accused Martin is absconding.
Meanwhile, city police commissioner V Balakrishnan came to know that many police officials, who are on night duty, are not acting immediately on intimation reports (IR). He directed senior officials to take action against Premkumar.
Deputy commissioner of police (south) N Silambarasan placed the SSI under suspension on Monday night.