Following a flash strike by the employees, about 306 liquor shops run by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation ( TASMAC) remained closed for more than an hour in Coimbatore.
Trouble brewed late on Saturday night itself, when the TASMAC employees from various shops in the city assembled at the Collector’s bungalow in Race Course demanding action against a Sub-Inspector of Police attached to the Selvapuram police station in the city for allegedly taking into custody two employees of a TASMAC outlet in Selvapuram and reportedly beating them up at the police station.
The TASMAC employees alleged that Mayilsamy (33) and Velumani (31) attached to a TASMAC shop at Selvapuram were reportedly picked up by a sub-inspector when the latter found people consuming liquor outside the shop along the road side. The SI is said to have questioned the shop assistants for permitting consumption of liquor in the open. The duo were picked up and later allegedly beaten up at the police station. TASMAC officials assured to take up the issue with the police.
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However on Sunday morning on seeing that no action was taken against the police official, the TASMAC shop assistants refused to open the shops and kept the shutters down in 306 shops.
The agitation shop assistants gathered in front of the TASMAC office staging a dharna. Assistant Commissioners of Police L. Balaji Saravanan and revenue officials besides TASMAC officials held talks.
Following an assurance that Assistant Commissioner, Rangathal would conduct an inquiry and initiate appropriate action, the employees gave up the flash strike and started re-opening the TASMAC outlets by 11.30 a.m.
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