Two suspended DMK men arrested for molesting woman police constable at party public meeting

The incident occurred on Saturday during a public meeting; the two youth wing functionaries were suspended late on Tuesday night; the arrests come after Opposition leaders slammed the government for inaction

S. Ekambaram and S. Praveen Kumar were functionaries of the DMK youth wing in Virugambakkam but were suspended on Tuesday night | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Two DMK men who were suspended from the party on Tuesday night, have been arrested by the Chennai police on charges of molesting a woman police constable, who was on duty at a public meeting.

The accused have been identified as S. Praveen Kumar, 23 of Saligramam and S. Ekambaram, 24 of Chinmaya Nagar. They were functionaries of the DMK Youth Wing in Virugambakkam.

Suspended from party

The party’s general secretary, Duraimurugan, suspended them from the party late on Tuesday night.

A case has been registered against the two men under Section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.

The alleged incident of sexual assault was reported to have occurred at a public meeting organised by the DMK, for its late general secretary K. Anbazhagan’s birthday centenary celebrations at the Dasarathapuram bus stand in Saligramam last Saturday. At the public meeting, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian and DMK MPs Kanimozhi and Tamilachi Thangapandian addressed the party workers.

Police sources said at the end of the public meeting, the two men molested the woman constable who was in uniform.

As she cried out for help, a male police constable came to her rescue and nabbed one of them immediately and Virugambakkam police inspector Thompson Xavier followed, and caught the two. When the police were about to take them, local party functionaries including DMK MLA Prabakar Raja intervened.

However, the Opposition, including AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and BJP state unit president K. Annamalai, slammed the ruling party and police for inaction amidst reports of the woman constable withdrawing her complaint.

Virugambakkam Police, after conducting further investigations, arrested the duo in the early hours of Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody, police sources said.