Faced with the task of implementing a curfew, the Tamil Nadu police often resorted to force across the State, on the second day of the total lockdown on Thursday.
Since Wednesday, people have been complaining of police high-handedness. But on their part, the police have pointed out people taking joy rides or unnecessary long trips on the pretext of buying groceries. Some people, on the other hand, said that they were making legitimate efforts to go out for medicines or groceries, but were not allowed to proceed. Video clippings showing people being forced to do squats did the rounds of social media.
On Wednesday evening, the police resorted to mild force and chased around 50 youngsters playing cricket in an open ground in Kancheepuram, despite prohibitory orders.
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In Chidambaram, the police made a group of youngsters, playing cricket, do sit-ups. In Thiruvannamalai, the police made a few motorists do squats.
Wielding of lathis
Similarly, the Singanallur police in Coimbatore wielded lathis on motorists on Wednesday evening, drawing criticism from various quarters. A video of the police beating up motorists at the Singanallur traffic junction went viral on social media. Police high-handedness continued on Thursday.
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In Madurai, a Railways Assistant Loco Pilot, who was going for railway duty, was fined by the traffic police at Goripalayam junction on Wednesday morning. Railway sources said that he was going to the railway junction to operate a light engine for a specific railway work. While he was crossing the Goripalayam junction on his two-wheeler, he was detained, along with other vehicle users, by a team of traffic police. A railway union leader said that the ALP was in his uniform. He had told the officer that he was going for his duty. But before he could flash his office identity card, the officer issued him an e-challan for ₹500.
In Koyambedu, the traffic police on Wednesday evening caught two youngsters, riding a motorcycle, and took away the vehicle’s keys. They were made to do squats for violating orders.
The city police chased people who were taking joy rides on their two-wheelers, in the western suburbs of the city.
A senior policeman said that youth were riding motorcycles from Tambaram, past the Central station, claiming that they had come out “to buy groceries”. The police said that they had regulated inter-zone movement of people, and for all essential needs, residents could shop in their own areas. They added that people travelling for medical emergencies would be allowed to pass, even across zones.