A video circulated online shows a senior police official ‘slapping’ a woman protester during a crackdown on an anti-liquor agitation in Tirupur district of Tamil Nadu.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening in Shamalpuram when a group of people, including women, blocked a road demanding closure of state-owned TASMAC liquor outlet in the locality.
As the protesters refused to disperse, additional deputy superintendent of police Pandiarajan slapped one of the women and pushed two others, asking them to disperse.
Protesting this, a section of the agitators allegedly pelted stones at the police who resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.
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Police said three persons were injured in the melee with one of them being hospitalised.
As the video showing the act went viral, various political parties, including DMK, condemned the ‘police brutality’.
Shops in the locality remained shut on Wednesday in protest against the police action.
The incident was raised in the Madras high court on Wednesday morning by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy and PMK’s legal wing member K Balu, who sought action against the police official.
Following a special mention on the matter, a bench comprising chief justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar agreed to hear their petitions later in the day.
Source: HindustanTimes