Chennai, June 24(BPNS)
Immediately after the news of a farmer, Murugesan being thrashed to death at Salem by the police came into light, the Tamil Nadu police are again in the news for the wrong reasons. Francis Antony (50), a Christian converted from Scheduled Caste and a Person with Disabilities(Pwd)was thrashed and abused by a Sub Inspector of Police and a constable attached to the Pulliuyarai police station in Tenkasi district.
While the incident happened on June 18 at 10 am while he was returning home buying 20kg of rice in his two wheeler, the police intercepted Antony at the Pulliarayi check post and seized his vehicle.
Francis Antony was taken to the Pulliyarayi police station and the constable and the Sub Inspector abused him and thrashed him.
While speaking to BPNS he said, “I was kicked on the chest and I was writhing in pain and I fell down and they sent me to my home on station bail. Seeing my condition my wife and daughter Abhitha took me to the Government hospital, Shengottai”.
When the family raised a complaint to the local police and to higher police officials, they did not take it seriously and no investigation against the duo was taken up. Seeing the plight of her father and to met out justice to him, Francis Antony’s daughter Abhitha resorted to a unique method of protest by climbing atop the mobile phone tower in Pulliyarai and later above the water tank of Tenkasi Government Hospital. After this became major news and social and political organisations took the matter up, the police have to charge the duo.
Police have booked the Sub Inspector and the Constable on Wednesday a good six days after the incident and after strong protest from his daughter.
Superintendent of Police, Tenkasi district Krishna Raj while speaking to BPNS said,” We have recorded the complaint against the Sub Inspector and the Constable and that they are removed from the Pulliyaral Police station and are put on compulsory wait. We have mentioned everything told by Antony in the FIR”.
However the police have not charged the case under SC/ST atrocities act citing that Francis Antony has converted to Christianity.
