Thursday, November 8, 2012

Two constables suspended for lapse of duty


Two constables, attached to the Paramakudi Taluk and Emaneswaram police stations, have been placed under suspension for having failed to prevent two persons, travelling in a two-wheeler, from entering into Ponnaiyapuram, located on a prohibited route, resulting in their murder on Thevar Jayanthi day on October 30.
Superintendent of Police N.M. Mylvahanan suspended constable Sulaiman, attached to the Parmakudi Taluk police station, and Head Constable Sethuraman of Emaneswaram police station based on an enquiry and a report submitted by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
The two constables were attached with other district police at five point junction and railway gate check post, the two strategic points, on specific duty that they should not allow any vehicle to pass through these points.
Sulaiman was posted at the five point junction in Paramakudi, the gateway for Ponnaiyapuram, along with Karur district police, while Sethuraman was at the railway gate check post point with Thanjavur district police.
“The two constables were on specific duty to prevent any vehicle from passing through the two points, but enquiries revealed that they have committed a grave mistake by allowing the two-wheeler,” Mr. Mylvahanan said.
As V. Veeramani and M. Malaikannan, strayed into the “sensitive” area, a mob from the village waylaid and killed them with stones and logs. They were proceeding towards Pasumpon to pay homage at the memorial of Muthuramalinga Thevar from Kalaiyarkoil in the neighbouring Sivaganga district.
“There was a serious lapse of duty on the part of the two policemen, who failed to prevent them from entering the village,” Mr. Mylvahanan said. “We are contemplating to initiate serious departmental proceedings against the two policemen in view of the grave charge,” he told The Hindu.
The district police had made elaborate security arrangements for Thevar Jayanthi and guru puja, identifying sensitive places and marking prohibited routes. But three murders, including the double murder in Ponnaiyapuram, marred the Thevar Jayanthi celebrations on October 30.
Besides the two, M. Sivakumar (25), a van driver from Velangudi near Narikudi in Virudhunagar district, was killed at Pambuvizhundan, also located on a prohibited route, in view of its caste sensitivity. Thirteen people, who were travelling in the van, however, jumped out and ran to safety, when the villagers attacked it. Special teams have so far arrested four people from Pambuvizhundan and 17 from Ponnaiyapuram in connection with the two murders.
The three murders had triggered considerable tension in the district in general and Paramakudi, Kamudhi and Mudukalathur in particular, forcing the district police to continue with pickets and patrolling in all the sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incident. As the situation threatened to go out of control, the district administration had deployed Rapid Action Force and strengthened the security.

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