Assaulted by SI, Home Guards couple sacked

Published Date: 15-July-2009

G Saravanan

Chennai, July 14: A Home Guards couple, who had been thrashed by a sub inspector (SI) attached to D1-Triplicane police station in full public view last May, have been sacking on grounds of ‘indiscipline’.Commissioner of Police T Rajendran, who signed the order a few days ago, said the action was based on enquiry report submitted by the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Triplicane police station.

Home Guards Sashikumar and his pregnant wife Reena, residents of ICF Colony, were allegedly thrashed by an SI for objecting to an obscene remark made by the owner of a restaurant on Anna Salai where they were waiting for delivery of food packets they had ordered. “We have been victimised for speaking out about the ordeal,” Sashikumar and Reena told Express.

Both of them were appointed as Home Guards in 2006. While Sashikumar was assigned to the K3-Aminjikarai police station, Reena was working with the F1-Chindadripet police station. The incident happened late in the evening last May, when they were (in uniform) waiting at Sangam Hotel, near Devi Theatre complex, after ordering food parcels. The shop owner allegedly teased Sashikumar’s wife and made offensive remarks.

When Sashikumar objected to it, the restaurant owner called the D1 police station and claimed that the couple was causing nuisance at his hotel. When the SI Kumar reached the spot, he thrashing both husband and wife in front the public for an hour without enquiring about the sequence of events, and later dragged Sashikumar to the police station. Sashi was ‘released’ by Kumar around midnight.Immediately after the incident, the Triplicane AC was asked to conduct an enquiry after human rights organisations raised a hue and cry.

Alleging that the AC was biased, Sashikumar said he gave a clean chit to the SI without listening to their genuine grievances. “Ironically, even after the media expose,the AC found my wife Reena and me guilty for the whole episode,” he added. According to sources, consequent to the duo’s sacking, four Home Guards patrol commanders put in their papers and another four Home Guards are contemplating resignation as they fear that the senior officials might target them for being close to Sashikumar.