CHENNAI: A Chennai traffic police inspector is facing an internal enquiry after a CCTV footage that surfaced today showed him pushing down a police constable from a running motorbike in the middle of a
busy road. The incident had taken place in public view on Wednesday at Alwarpet. The police inspector, identified as Ravi Chandran, was apparently so desperate to catch his subordinate Dharman that he
suddenly jumped to the middle of the road and tried to stop the motorcyclist by forcibly pushing him with his hands. The constable Dharman lost balance in the impact and his bike skid, but just a little ahead of an approaching mini-truck that he escaped without major injuries. The constable was later held by shirt collar and taken into a police vehicle after a few angry words yelled at him.
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The story behind this dramatic act of the police inspector has even more twists and turns and throws up questions on the workplace culture in the police force. It is learnt that the constable Dharman had only
a few hours earlier on Wednesday lamented in the official walkie-talkie network that his superior, inspector Ravi Chandran, had denied him leave even to attend the final rites of his mother.
Dharman's speech in the official network had come to the notice of the senior police officers and he was placed under suspension the same day since he allegedly did not appear for an enquiry too. It was said that
Dharman was also drunk while on duty that day.
A senior police officer said they were aware of the act of the police inspector only after this CCTV footage went viral on Saturday and their enquiries found that the inspector Ravi Chandran wanted to stop
the constable since he thought he was "escaping from work" and returning home. Also, while it was earlier said that Dharman was suspended since he did not turn up for the enquiry, the video shows that he was taken into custody by his seniors on the said day.
A senior police officer said inspector Ravi Chandran has been transferred to the Armed Reserve wing and an enquiry is being conducted against him.
The police personnel were also instructed not to attempt to forcibly stop motorists on the roads after the death in March a pregnant woman in Tiruchy when a traffic police officer chased her motorbike and
kicked it resulting in an accident.