Even as city police commissioner A K Viswanathan on Thursday suspended constable S Murugesan (34), under whose wheels the grandson of Kottai Ameer came and subsequently died, the residents of Anna Nagar raised questions over the version of police regarding the incident.
Residents claimed that one-and-a-half-year-old Asif Rehman came under the front wheels of the police vehicle and alleged that cops changed the entire story after learning that the victim was the grandson of Kottai Ameer, in whose name the government had instituted a communal harmony award.
A resident, on condition of anonymity, said, “Many women, who witnessed the Wednesday accident, claimed that Asif came under the front wheels and not the back wheels as maintained by the police. The version was changed when they came to know that Asif was the grandson of Kottai Ameer.”
Mohammad, another resident, said that the police personnel were keen to escape from the spot than saving the injured. “Had they rushed Asif to hospital, the child could have been saved. As Asif’s father frantically searched for a vehicle to take his son to the hospital a lot of precious time was lost.”
It may be recalled that on Wednesday, one-and-a-half-year-old Asif Rehman had come under the wheels of the vehicle driven by Murugesan while he was reversing the it on Sungam Bypass Road at Anna Nagar in South Ukkadam. The police had gone to the spot at 1.15 pm in search of explosives at a few houses.
Though Asif was rushed to KG Hospital, the boy died on the way triggering a protest by residents of the area. Residents had alleged that Asif died due to the negligence of the police personnel.
Traffic Investigation Wing (West) has registered a case against Murugesan, Grade-1 constable, under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304 (a) (causing death by negligence) of the IPC and arrested him.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the commissioner suspended Murugesan and ordered a departmental inquiry to probe into the charges.