Hours after videos of policemen allegedly committing arson in the backdrop of the crackdown on Jallikattu protestters went viral, Chennai police commissioner S George denied charges leveled against the department.
In the first video, which has been shared extensively on social media and particularly Whatsapp, a man wearing khakhi is seen walking up to an autorickshaw and throwing a burning bundle into it. The Chennai commissioner,however, dismissed the recording, terming it ‘ridiculous’
‘We must look into the hidden motive behind this video’ stated Commissioner S.George. ‘The video will be probed by the multimedia department’ he added. He claimed that the videos had been morphed.
What is this. Please explain some one pic.twitter.com/MMpFXHSOVk
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) January 23, 2017
A senior journalist from News 18 had told TNM that the video was shot from RK Salai in Chennai around 5pm.
However, this was not the only video that had surfaced on social media. Videos of police damaging vehicles at Marina and another one from Coimbatore are also doing the rounds.
The commissioner when questioned about the reported police violence against peaceful agitators, claimed that aggression was only employed against anti-social elements. ‘Over 4000 people dispersed from the site of protest after police assured them that the ordinance would provide a permanent solution’ the top cop claims. ‘After the students stopped protesting, a group of anti social elements displayed resistance. Several of them began pelting stones at the police, following which minimum force was used.’
The Chennai top cop claimed that the department had received intelligence reports on the integration of anti-social elements into what began as a students’ movement. Following this police have arrested 40 miscreants who were instigated by ‘vested interests’, he added.
Re-emphasising that the police were cracking down on anti social elements and not students, the commissioner said that forces will remain deployed at the Marina and several other parts of the city on Tuesday. 7000 policemen are currently on duty in the city and 1000 sub inspectors who are on probation have also been monitoring the situation. The Commissioner as a final warning, stated that any incidence of sporadic violence will be dealt with firmly.