CHENNAI: The Chennai city police on Saturday arrested S Ranjana Nachiyar, an actress, for stopping an MTC bus and beating school students travelling on footboard. A video of her beating the boys and scolding the bus crew went viral on social media.
On Thursday evening, MTC bus route no 188 plying between Saidapet and Kundrathur was packed with passengers, including school students in uniform. “Ranjana who was coming in her car spotted the boys travelling on the footboard and atop the bus. Near Porur Signal, she overtook the bus, forcing it to stop in the middle of the road. She was seen abusing the driver in the video clip. She also scolded the conductor,” a police officer said.
The woman slapped the students travelling on the footboard and also scolded them using abusive language. Bus driver R Saravanan (48) lodged a complaint with the Mangadu police alleging that the woman prevented him from discharging his duty and abused him in public. Based on his complaint, police booked a case against Ranjana under sections 341 (punishment for wrongful constraint), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 290 (punishment for public nuisance) of Indian Penal Code and a provision of Juvenile Justice Act.
A police team arrested the actress at her house in Gerugambakkam. Ranjana was produced before the Sriperumbudur court in the evening. The court ordered her to appear before the Mangadu police every day for the next 40 days to record her signature.