COIMBATORE: Singanallur police in Coimbatore city have arrested a public toilet cleaning contractor and the sub-contractor for allegedly throwing human faeces at the office of a Congress ward councillor as the latter complained about them to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) commissioner for the poor upkeep of public toilets in his ward. The two had also poured a faeces mixture in front of the residence of the AIADMK functionary-cum- corporation contractor of Ward 53 over a salary dispute. Both incidents happened in the wee hours of Friday.
According to sources, the arrested were identified as A Radhakrishnan (60), a contractor from Uppilipalayam near Singanallur and P Prakash (39) a sub-contractor from Ondipudur in the city. The two had obtained a contract for cleaning public toilets for the East Zone of the Coimbatore corporation in the AIADMK regime and used to receive the amount for their work after submitting the bills to the corporation officials.
According to the complaint filed by M Krishnamoorthy (61) from Ondipudur, the Congress councillor of ward 56, with Singanallur police, after he raised the complaint against the suspects, the corporation officials inspected the toilets and issued notices to them seeking explanations in April 2022. As they did not respond, the officials sent two more notices to them. Upset over his complaints, the two had lodged complaints against the councillor at CM cell and Coimbatore city police Commissioner. The inquiry over the complaint was held on October 4. Meanwhile, Krishnamoorthy took the issue to the knowledge of Corporation Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran a few days ago and also addressed the same issue before the East zone head Lakshmi Ilanselvi during the zone meeting on Thursday.
“So Radhakrishnan sent Prakash to pour the human faeces mix at our party office located at Ondipudur in the wee hours of Friday. We have CCTV footage of the incident,” Krishnamoorthy said. Based on his complaint, Singanallur police inspector R Vinothkumar registered a case against Radhakrishnan and Prakash under sections 109, 269, 270, and 504 of the Indian Penal Code and arrested the duo on Saturday morning.
Further, police said following the instigation of Radhakrishnan, the sub-contractor Prakash poured human faeces mixed with water at the residence of AIADMK 53rd ward secretary-cum- corporation contractor R Panneerselvam (53) at Masakkalipalayam in the city. Panneerselvam took toilet cleaning contracts at wards 76 and 79 and Prakash used to work under him and allegedly had a salary dispute between them. Though Panneerselvam claim he settled salaries with Prakash, he gave a police complaint stating that the salary is pending. Meanwhile, they poured faeces in front of his house on Friday. Based on Panneerselvam’s complaint, another FIR was registered against the duo on Friday.