‘Drunk’ cop’s slap on cabbie sparks massive stir

The driver, Ranjith Kumar, a resident of Pallikaranai, was on his way home after dropping a passenger on the Old Mahabalipuram Road. As he was travelling over the Velachery flyover, a youngster speeding on a two-wheeler came very close to his car and scratched it while overtaking it. Ranjith chased and intercepted the bike, and entered into an argument with the rider. In the middle of that, the latter allegedly slapped Ranjith. 

Meanwhile, David, another taxi driver who was passing by stopped and came to Ranjith’s support. Then the bike rider introduced himself as a police constable attached to Pallikaranai police station and fled the spot. Soon, the news spread among taxi drivers. Irked over this, scores of cabbies gathered in the area and staged a protest, seeking senior officers to take action against the constable who slapped their colleague. 

They alleged that the constable, later identified as Mahaveer, was drunk at the time of the incident. After more drivers began to gather, senior officers rushed to the spot. They asked the protesters to file a formal complaint and assured them that action would be taken against the constable if he was found guilty. Following this assurance, the drivers dispersed from the spot.