Two days after the death of 22-year-old R. Subasri in Pallikaranai, the whereabouts of C. Jayagopal, who was responsible for putting up the banner that fell on her, are unknown.
The police claimed that they were collecting evidence and contemplating legal options to book a case against him.
His relatives claimed that Mr. Jayagopal has been admitted to a private hospital after he complained of chest pain. However, police sources denied it.
Driver held
Meanwhile, the driver of the water tanker under whose wheels the woman came, Manoj Yadav, was the first person to be nabbed by the police. The traffic investigation team of the St. Thomas Mount police opened a first information report against the youth from Bihar and produced him before Judicial Magistrate, Alandur, J. Starli.
The magistrate declined to remand him and the police released him on station bail, since it was a bailable offence.
On Thursday afternoon, Subasri was run over by the water tanker after an illegal flex board tied to the median fell on her. The board was erected by Mr. Jayagopal on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road to announce his son’s marriage and to welcome party leaders for the event.
On Friday, the city police said Mr. Jayagopal’s name was included in the FIR on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s father. They have invoked Section 308 of the IPC (attempt to commit culpable homicide) against him, sources said.
The Pallikaranai police booked a case against Mr. Jayagopal under the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959, on a complaint lodged by an Assistant Engineer of the Greater Chennai Corporation.
Senior Advocate Sudha Ramalingam said the police failed to prevent the erection of banners. “After the death, the police only filed an FIR against the driver and not those responsible for putting up the hoarding. Only after the High Court intervened, did the police decide to include the ruling party politician’s name.”
A knee-jerk reaction
“Instead of taking preventive measure beforehand against those putting up illegal banners, what we have now is a knee-jerk reaction. What is the use of sealing the printing press, instead of initiating action against the person who put up the banner,” said U. Vasuki, National vice-president of the All India Democratic Women’s Association.
A senior police official said, “We have included Mr. Jayagopal’s name and are seeking legal opinion to book a case against him under strong sections. There is no delay.”
