Members of the Federation of Consumer Forums of Cuddalore district laid siege to the office of the Superintendent of Police here on Wednesday, protesting the abrupt cancellation of permission given to the Federation to take out a rally.
M.Nizamudeen, a spokesperson of the Federation, told The Hindu that it was proposed to take out a protest rally from the Collectorate to the office of the Superintendent of Police on Wednesday against the ill-treatment meted out to a consumer activist by the police.
The Federation duly followed the procedure in applying for police permission for the rally which was also granted. However, on Tuesday night certain police personnel approached Mr Nizamudeen and told him that the permission was revoked and therefore he had to put it in writing that the Federation would abide by the police direction.
As he sought to know the reason for revocation of permission, there was no convincing reply. Mr Nizamudeen said that when the Federation members went to give a representation in this regard to SP A.Radhika on Wednesday, they were blocked at the main gate of her office.
On information Communist Party of India leader M.Sekar and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi too joined them and expressed their solidarity. Mr Nizamudeen said that since the focus of the rally was on highlighting the high-handedness of the police, the permission was arbitrarily withdrawn.
He alleged that Sub-Inspector Krishnamurthy, attached to the Pudhupettai police station, in collusion with a private mini-bus operator, assaulted Kalidass, secretary of the Oraiyur Consumer and Environmental Welfare Association, when he questioned the conductor of the mini-bus plying on the Oraiyur—Panruti route collecting ticket fare in excess of the government approved rates.
The doctors at the Panruti government hospital made Mr Kalidass wait for over four hours to give treatment. Therefore, the Federation was urging the authorities to take action against the SI, the doctors and the bus operator.
“The Federation proposes to take the protest to Chennai,” Mr Nizamudeen said.
