On Monday, several videos went viral, one of them of a police SUV being pelted with stones and overturned by a mob of youngsters. The video of a group of young men letting loose violence in broad daylight and brazenly attacking a vehicle that belonged to the police has shocked residents. While the veracity of most of the videos released yesterday could not be checked, this was one incident in which the story was confirmed and refreshed in the retelling on Tuesday.
Santosh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (West), on Tuesday confirmed that the incident had indeed taken place. He also went on to reveal details that were not captured on the video. The venue was the junction of Poonamallee High Road and Nair bridge, and the whole horror tale began at 2.45 p.m. with the police who were on the street being pelted with stones, he said.
“We were on the road, trying to get the crowd under control. After the stone throwing started, we first took cover behind a bus. However, the driver moved the vehicle because protesters began throwing stones at the bus and we were exposed to their rage again. With a few of my men, I managed to run to a medical shop close by and seek shelter. The Inspector-General’s vehicle was parked in front of mine on the road. His driver reversed the vehicle and was pelted with stones and the windows were broken,” Mr. Kumar explained.
“Watching this, my driver tried to go straight and turn right but some people in the mob threw stones. The windshields were also smashed. The driver somehow got out of the vehicle and tried to run, but the mob continued to beat him with sticks and huge granite stones,” Mr. Kumar recounted. The mob then tried to set the vehicle on fire.
The driver suffered a shoulder fracture and injuries on his face and head. He was first taken to a private hospital in the vicinity and then to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. He has been discharged and is now at home, but may go in for an MRI scan on Wednesday,” Mr. Kuamr said. The whole thing unfolded over half an hour.
