Members of the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) assembled outside the office of the Superintendent of Police at Surveyor Colony here to protest against an incident where a visually challenged man was manhandled.
E. Sankarapandi, a resident of Alwarthirunagari, was on his way to Tirunelveli from Madurai on a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus when he had an altercation with the conductor who allegedly overcharged him for his ticket.
Describing the incident, he said, “When I asked the conductor about it, he stopped the bus near Tirumangalam and pushed me out. I stood in front of the bus demanding an explanation for his behaviour when the policemen from the Tirumangalam police station arrived on the spot.”
He alleged that the policemen did not question the conductor for ill-treating a visually challenged person but instead beaten him up.
“I was severely injured and got admitted to the Virudhunagar Government Hospital where I received treatment for four days,” he said.
TARATDAC representatives, who spoke to the Superintendent of Police, demanded that action be taken against the conductor.
“We have appealed for action to be taken against the police personnel who manhandled Mr.Sankarapandi and place them under suspension,” said S. Namburajan, State secretary of the TARATDAC. “We have asked him to convene a monthly grievance day meeting exclusively for the differently abled people,” he said.
