M Sundaresan, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) in Mayiladuthurai district, has accused senior police officials of mentally harassing him for taking firm action against illegal liquor operations.
A 1996-batch direct recruit Sub-Inspector, Sundaresan currently oversees both the Mayiladuthurai and Sirkazhi subdivisions. His allegations gained public attention after a video of him walking in uniform to his office on Thursday, July 17, went viral. The officer claimed his official vehicle was taken away without formal orders and replaced with a malfunctioning one—to deliberately harass him.
Sundaresan said the incident traces back to July 5, when Special Branch Inspector Balachander allegedly requested his vehicle for arrangements during the visit of Backward Classes Welfare Minister Siva V Meyyanathan. The DSP said he declined to hand it over without written instructions. He was soon sent on security duty to Tiruchendur and later to Tiruvarur, using his personal vehicle.
Upon returning to Mayiladuthurai on July 10, Sundaresan claimed he gave up the vehicle under pressure, but it was ultimately not used for the minister’s visit. A replacement vehicle was only provided the following afternoon, and it reportedly broke down during night patrols at the Kollidam check post. He surrendered the vehicle the next day, receiving no response from Superintendent of Police (SP) G Stalin, he claimed.
“I have barely received any proper communication from the SP in the last eight months,” Sundaresan said.
During his nine-month tenure, Sundaresan stated he registered over 1,200 prohibition-related cases, with 600–700 leading to judicial remand. He believes his proactive policing led to targeted harassment.
A veteran of multiple departments including Intelligence, Law and Order, Special Branch CID, and the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), Sundaresan said his transfer to Mayiladuthurai was linked to an earlier SHRC investigation he conducted into custodial torture in the case of retired Inspector Kasthuri’s murder in Kancheepuram.
The DSP also levelled serious allegations against ADGP (Law and Order) Davidson Devasirvadham and Intelligence IG Senthilvelan, accusing them of orchestrating the harassment. He said he had submitted more than 20 petitions requesting a transfer to Chennai, including appeals for basic resources like a dog squad. Instead, he claimed, he faced baseless bribery accusations.
“If anyone can prove I took bribes, I am ready to die right here,” he told the media emotionally, adding that he had not received his salary in four months and that his Voluntary Retirement (VRS) request—initially withdrawn under persuasion—was now being held against him. “They want to suspend me so I lose my pension,” he alleged.
Sundaresan also accused SP G Stalin of showing him an obscene gesture and threatening him for asking questions. “If such officers continue in service, even the public will not be safe,” he said. “It’s not the lower-rung personnel who damage the image of this government. It is the senior officers.”
The controversy has sparked strong reactions from opposition leaders. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the DMK government does not protect honest officers and prioritizes those who “flatter and bribe.” BJP leader K Annamalai also condemned the alleged mistreatment, stating that withdrawing Sundaresan’s vehicle was intended to humiliate him.
“The police force is meant to serve the public. It is shameful that an honest officer is being treated this way,” Annamalai said on social media, demanding that Sundaresan’s official vehicle be restored.
In response, SP G Stalin denied all allegations, calling them factually incorrect and attention-seeking. He said Sundaresan’s vehicle was only temporarily reassigned for VIP duty during Chief Minister MK Stalin’s visit due to its superior condition. A replacement was provided, he claimed, but the DSP refused to use it. The original vehicle was returned on July 17, he said.
The SP also denied claims of salary delays and insisted that honest officers are respected in the current administration. He confirmed that a departmental inquiry will be initiated into Sundaresan’s public statements and that disciplinary action may follow.