Four personnel of a highway patrol team, including a Sub-Inspector, have been placed under suspension on charges of dereliction of duty and for having indirectly caused the death of two persons riding a motorcycle on Monday night.
Police sources said S. Punniyakodi (42) of Kaliyanguppam and E. Paavadai (50) of Seyyankuppam were returning on a motorcycle from Puducherry to Marakkanam.
At Chettinagar on East Coast Road, the highway patrol party signalled them to halt but they sped away.
When the personnel started chasing the motorcycle, the riders rode fast and collided with a car. Punniyakodi died on the spot and Paavadai died after admission to the Puducherry Government Hospital. Holding the highway patrol personnel responsible for the deaths and seeking appropriate action, local people blocked traffic on ECR for about an hour.
Later, it was found that the highway patrol team had in its possession Indian Made Foreign Liquor bottles seized from elsewhere.
As the personnel failed to hand over the liquor to the authorities concerned, the higher-ups took a serious view of the lapse.
The police also took into custody the car driver, Ahamad (37) of Bangalore.
Those who have been placed under suspension include Sub-Inspector Thanigachalam, constables Kothandam and Saravanan and police driver Palanimuthu.
