Chennai, Sep 3 (IANS) A 64-year-old retired government employee was allegedly assaulted by a police sub-inspector during a public grievance redressal camp organised under the ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ outreach initiative at Sathur village near Arcot on Wednesday, sparking outrage after a video of the incident went viral.

The petitioner, identified as C. Venkatapathy, a native of Sathur and former employee of the Department of Cooperatives, said he had gone to the camp at the Government Middle School to submit a representation seeking action against encroachments on forest land in his village.

Since his retirement in 2018, he has been living with his wife, V. Gnana Soundarya, 60, who is differently abled, and their daughter near Arcot.

According to officials, around noon, Venkatapathy submitted his petition to Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Mohammed Shahabuddin.

The Revenue staff initially hesitated to accept the document, citing that the petitioner had raised the same grievance repeatedly in the past. When the officials eventually received it, Venkatapathy demanded a written acknowledgement, which the revenue team declined to provide.

As the argument grew heated, police sub-inspector Prabhakaran of Arcot Taluk police stepped in.

A video shows the officer hitting Venkatapathy in the chest.

Soon after, Venkatapathy complained of pain and was taken to the Government Taluk Hospital in Walajah, where doctors said his condition was stable.

The incident triggered sharp criticism on social media, with many condemning the conduct of the police officer at a camp meant for addressing public grievances.

Local residents also expressed solidarity with the petitioner, who has been campaigning for the protection of forest land in his native village for over six years.

Meanwhile, instead of action against the police officer, Arcot police registered a case against Venkatapathy based on a complaint by VAO Shahabuddin.

He was booked under Section 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly obstructing a public servant from discharging official duties.

The registration of the case has intensified the public outcry, with opposition parties and rights activists questioning the accountability of officials and demanding that the alleged assault by the sub-inspector be investigated impartially.

–IANS

aal/pgh