The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) on Friday, October 27, dismissed the claims made by the Raj Bhavan, Tamil Nadu, regarding the petrol bomb attack on October 24. The statement by Raj Bhavan, representing Governor RN Ravi, claimed, “Miscreants carrying bombs tried to barge in through the main gate. However, alert sentries prevented and assailants hurled two petrol bombs inside Raj Bhavan and escaped.” They also claimed that the police had not registered a First Information Report (FIR) or taken their complaint.
Addressing a press conference, the Chennai police refuted these claims and released multiple CCTV footage, pictures and videos to the media. One of the CCTV footage showed Vinoth alias Karukka Vinoth standing 30 metres away from the Raj Bhavan and lighting two petrol bombs as two GCP officers charged towards him. Sandeep Rathore, Commissioner of GCP, told TNM, “There was only one miscreant. He did not attempt to barge into the Raj Bhavan, and the petrol bombs he threw fell outside the gate of the building, near the barricades. Not even the main gate was damaged. Five GCP officers immediately nabbed him, neutralised him by seizing the other two petrol bombs he had and eventually arrested him.” However, this evidence was yet to be shown to the Governor, he added.
He also told TNM that the police officers who were at the spot of the incident which took place at 3 pm, had registered a complaint by 5 pm on the same day of the attack and that the complaint from Raj Bhavan was received at night around 10:24 pm. “We have received a letter regarding not acting on their complaint. We will look into the subject matter of the letter and necessary responses or actions will be initiated,” he said.
The CCTV footage released by GCP showed Vinodh walking from Nandhanam signal to the Raj Bhavan, carrying four petrol bombs kept wrapped inside a black plastic bag. The accused walked for more than a couple hours before he reached the residence of the Governor. “Witnesses who were at the spot will be summoned soon and their accounts will only strengthen these facts,” Sandeep Rathore said.
On claims that Vinodh had political backing, Sandeep Rathore commented, “Thus far, our background check has not revealed any political connection, but we are investigating the case from that angle.”
Further, the GCP also traced back to a similar complaint registered by the Raj Bhavan, which claimed that RN Ravi was physically attacked with sticks and stones while he was en route to Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu. Arun, Additional Commissioner of Police, GCP, at the press conference, showed a clip from CCTV footage which showed protestors throwing a black flag on a private vehicle with a BJP flag which passed by the route after the Governor’s convoy passed.
“The incident happened on April 19, 2022, but the flag fell on a private vehicle which was not a part of the 14-vehicle convoy. The Raj Bhavan claimed the Governor was physically attacked, but as the footage shows, the vehicles passed by without any trouble,” Arun said. After the incident, the Raj Bhavan also said that the police didn’t file an FIR, but Arun clarified that an FIR was filed on the same day and that 73 people were remanded in custody. Fifty-three of them have been interrogated so far, and a charge sheet would be filed soon, he added.