CHENNAI:Traffic was brought to a grinding halt on 80 Feet Road, KK Nagar after a teen riding triples with his friends was killed on the spot in a freak accident triggered by police attached to the Traffic Enforcement Wing, KK Nagar.
Two policemen, including a Reserve Inspector, were shifted out of KK Nagar and placed under vacancy reserve list pending departmental inquiry. Relatives and eyewitnesses blocked traffic and damaged a police vehicle parked nearby to vent their anger.
According to eyewitnesses, the three riding a motorcycle switched from Arcot Road and took a right onto 80 Ft Road, KK Nagar when the two policemen — Inspector Sargunam and Constable Sivanandam — tried to stop the riders as they thought they had jumped the signal around 11 am.
When the three youth tried to speed away, the policemen threw their cane at them to slow them down. When the three on their motorcycle wobbled, the policemen ran and grabbed the shirt of one of the three riders causing the bike to lose balance.
The bike hit the central median and the three crashed on the railing on top of the median.
Selvam (19), of Mettukuppam, who worked as a plumber and delivered packaged drinking water in the area, was driving the bike. He died on the spot before the ambulance arrived.
The other two pillion riders Raja (20), a construction labourer, and Vignesh (18), a first year diploma student, in a city institute, were injured.
The passers-by and other motorists gathered on the spot immediately and questioned the policemen. Some of them chased the two and gave them a sound thrashing. Others blocked the road which disrupted traffic for some hours.
Senior police officials spoke to the protesters. They assured them that sufficient action would be taken against the policemen, if they were found guilty. Based on the assurances, the road block was given up.
Meanwhile, the injured were taken to Government Royapettah Hospital. It took several sutures to stop Raja’s bleeding. He was injured in the abdomen. Vignesh escaped with minor injuries.
Meanwhile, Vadivelu, father of Selvam, submitted a complaint at KK Nagar Police station seeking action against the Inspector and the constable.
“They should be brought to book and tried for murder,” he told the media outside KK Nagar Police station.
Raja who spoke to the media in hospital said Selvam lost control of the vehicle after the policemen grabbed them by the shirt.
“We all fell down. I saw Selvam’s abdomen tear and his guts come out before Vignesh and I fainted,” he said.