A police constable attached to the Armed Reserve (AR) was accused of asking about caste details to an individual for a mask violation case, in Perumanallur in Tiruppur district.
P. Sivakumar, a functionary of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi from Avinashi, said that he was driving a two-wheeler with his wife riding pillion in Perumanallur near Avinashi at around 1.30 p.m. on Thursday. “We just finished having lunch at a restaurant and I was not wearing a mask while driving, but my wife was wearing her mask,” he recalled on Friday. The two-wheeler was stopped by the AR constable Kasiraja, who asked for his particulars such as name and address for not wearing a mask.
Mr. Sivakumar alleged that the constable then proceeded to ask his caste, which he refused to disclose. He began recording a video of Mr. Kasiraja on his smartphone while having an argument, and circulated it on social media platforms on Thursday evening.
Action initiated
A senior officer with the Tiruppur District Police told The Hindu on Friday that Avinashi Deputy Superintendent of Police L. Baskar called the AR constable Mr. Kasiraja and two police constables attached to the Perumanallur police station, Nataraj and Veluchamy for an inquiry on Friday following the viral video.
Mr. Nataraj was at the spot along with the AR constable during the Thursday incident, while Mr. Veluchamy assigned the duty to them. Both these police constables were shifted to the AR on Friday, the officer said. Further disciplinary action will be initiated after the inquiry is completed, the officer said.
The officer noted that according to a government order issued by the State government on September 17, Police Department officials “not below the rank of Sub-Inspector” only could levy the fine amount for mask violations, as part of the COVID-19 precautionary measures.
