COIMBATORE: The city police arrested a 27-year-old private ambulance driver on Monday, for allegedly taunting women from northeast India and calling them Coronavirus. The victims -- aged 19 and 20 -- are from Manipur. They work at a beauty parlor in the city and reside at a rented house on Alagesan Road near Saibaba Colony. The suspect, M Vignesh (27) of Theni, also stays at the same neighborhood. He works as a private ambulance driver.
Sources said that when they stepped out for getting groceries around 7 pm on Sunday, the man under the influence of alcohol allegedly waylaid them and removed his shirt in front of them. When they tried to move aside, he allegedly teased them by calling them Chinese and Coronavirus.
"The man repeatedly taunted us even though we explained to him that we are not from China and are citizens of this nation. Alcohol may have played a role but in the State, people have this view that we came from China and brought the Coronavirus with us," said a victim.
On Monday, the girls lodged a complaint with the Saibaba Colony Police Station and also submitted video evidence. Based on it, the police registered a case Vignesh. He was booked under Sections 75 (i) (c) of the Tamil Nadu City Police Act, 506 (i) of Indian Penal Code, and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prevention of Harassment of Women Act, said police.
According to the secretary of Kuki student's Organisation in Coimbatore, Khongsai Grace, most of the people from the northeastern states have faced such incidents since the time the virus spread in the city.