Was an Elderly Man Assaulted by a Cop at the 'Ungaludan Stalin' Camp in Ranipet?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Incident at public grievance camp: Assault on a retired employee highlights police conduct.
- Community support: Local residents rally behind Venkatapathy.
- Call for accountability: Growing demands for a fair investigation into the assault.
- Legal implications: Venkatapathy faces charges instead of the police officer.
- Video evidence: Viral footage raises awareness about police behavior.
Chennai, Sep 3 (NationPress) A 64-year-old retired government employee was reportedly assaulted by a police sub-inspector during a public grievance redressal camp organized under the 'Ungaludan Stalin' outreach initiative at Sathur village near Arcot on Wednesday, igniting widespread outrage after a video of the incident circulated online.
The individual, identified as C. Venkatapathy, a resident of Sathur and former employee of the Department of Cooperatives, attended the camp at the Government Middle School to file a petition regarding encroachments on forest land in his community.
Since retiring in 2018, he has been residing with his wife, V. Gnana Soundarya, 60, who has disabilities, and their daughter near Arcot.
Officials stated that around noon, Venkatapathy handed over his petition to Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Mohammed Shahabuddin.
The revenue staff initially resisted accepting the submission, claiming that Venkatapathy had previously raised the same concern multiple times. When they eventually accepted it, Venkatapathy requested a written acknowledgment, which the revenue team refused.
As tensions escalated, police sub-inspector Prabhakaran from the Arcot Taluk police intervened.
A video captured the officer striking Venkatapathy in the chest.
Following the incident, Venkatapathy reported discomfort and was transported to the Government Taluk Hospital in Walajah, where medical professionals confirmed his condition was stable.
The incident has sparked intense criticism on social media platforms, with many denouncing the police officer’s behavior at a camp intended for public grievance resolution.
Local inhabitants showed support for Venkatapathy, who has been advocating for the protection of forest land in his village for over six years.
Instead of taking action against the police officer, the Arcot police filed a case against Venkatapathy based on a complaint from VAO Shahabuddin.
He was charged under Section 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly obstructing a public servant in the performance of their duties.
The filing of this case has heightened public outrage, with opposition parties and rights activists calling for accountability from officials and demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged assault by the sub-inspector.