COIMBATORE: In a bid to solve the issue of parking space, Coimbatore city police have decided to knock down the compound wall of the Rathinapuri police station, which remains unused for more than a year after it was inaugurated. The building has turned into a shelter for anti-social elements who have broken the doors and toilets.
As per sources, since 2006, the Rathinapuri police station was functioning at PM Samy Colony in Viswasapuram for a monthly rent of Rs 9,000. The rented space lacks basic amenities and space for parking, which causes inconvenience to the public. Following the demand for the new police station, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation allotted 15 cents of land on Sampath Street on GV Ramasamy road and the police housing corporation constructed the three-storey building at Rs 2.64 crore in 2022. However, the Local Planning Authority (LPA) denied permission to the building citing the space constraints for parking area.
“The building has a lot of amenities and more than enough space to run a police station. However, it does not get approval due to the space constraint for the parking. The building approval is pending before the LPA. Hence we planned to remove the compound wall attached with gates to make an additional place for vehicle parking,” said a senior police officer.
As the building has been unused, it is a home for the anti-social elements. A resident near the station said “The building does not have electricity connection and groups of people gather inside at night. They broke the toilet door. As there is not enough space in the rented building, where the police station is functioning now, some documents are kept in the new building. But the windows of the new police station are open and anyone can see the documents kept inside the station. If the situation remains the same, the police station premises will become a threat to the locality,” the resident said.
City police commissioner V Balakrishnan told TNIE that the building approval was pending as it does not have sufficient parking place. “After an appeal, we got the approval and waiting for the government order. Also, we plan to remove the compound wall to create enough space for parking. I will look into the movements of the anti-social elements,” he said.
Rathinapuri is one of the crime hot spots in the city and it witnessed recent crime occurrences over gang rivalry. It is noted that a week ago the public besieged the station to highlight lax policing and the rise in crimes in the area.