Differently abled association files police complaint as constable assaults man in divyang coach
A video of the assault was shared on social media which soon got widely shared, spreading shockwaves among differently abled persons and prompting their association members to lodge a complaint with the Tiruvarur railway police
TIRUCHY: A police constable who pretended to be a Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel was booked on Friday after he, along with two others, assaulted a differently abled man inside a divyang coach after he refused to open the door of the special coach for the three to enter.
R Karunanidhi (53), a differently abled person from Thenkovanur in Tiruvarur along with a few other disabled persons were travelling in the disabled persons’ coach of Mannai Express on Thursday late hours. When the train reached Koradacherry, three persons tried to open the doors of the reserved coach. Realising the door was locked from inside, the trio introduced themselves as RPF personnel and asked Karunanidhi to open the door for them. However, Karunanidhi told them the coach was for disabled persons and refused to open the door. The train soon left Kodaracherry.
When the train reached Tiruvarur station, the door was opened to allow a few differently abled persons to board and along with them the trio also entered the coach and soon picked up a quarrel with Karunanidhi.
One of them, now identified as Palani, the head constable with Needamangalam police, roughed him up. Though the other travellers tried to rescue Karunanidhi, they couldn’t overpower the three men.
Meanwhile, a video of the assault was shared on social media which soon got widely shared, spreading shockwaves among differently abled persons and prompting their association members to lodge a complaint with the Tiruvarur railway police, who subsequently registered a case against Palani under two sections. Investigations are under way.
Speaking to reporters, Karunanidhi said, usually special coaches for the differently abled are locked from inside to bar the general public from occupying their seats.
“Since there was no police presence when the incident took place, I tried to explain to them why the door cannot be opened. But he (Palani) wasn’t willing to listen and started assaulting me even as fellow disabled persons tried to pacify him but in vain,” Karunanidhi said.