Petrol bomb incident: TN Police disproves Raj Bhavan’s claims with video evidence

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, Shankar Jiwal and Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, Sandeep Rai Rathore on Friday made public CCTV footage to disprove Raj Bhavan’s claims that petrol bombs were hurled “inside” Raj Bhavan premises and that a “group of miscreants with (petrol) bombs tried to barge in through main gate”.

On Wednesday, around 3 pm, a history-sheeter, M Vinod (42) was arrested minutes after he threw a Molotov cocktail (petrol bomb), directed at the main gate of Raj Bhavan on Sardar Patel Road.

Later in the day, Additional Commissioner of Police (south) Prem Anand Sinha stated that Vinodh had acted alone and had thrown a bottle that fell before a barricade, a few metres ahead of the front gate. Alert police immediately secured Vinod, he said.

However, in a few hours, Governor RN Ravi’s office posted on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle: “Raj Bhavan was attacked today afternoon. 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.”

The version by the Governor’s office, a day before President Draupadi Murmu’s visit to the city incited a war of words between Tamil Nadu BJP and the ruling DMK over the law and order situation in the State.

On Friday, police top brass produced CCTV footage tracing the lone accused walking from his residence in Teynampet carrying liquor bottles, all the way to Sardar Patel Road before apprehended by police. “Karukka Vinod was caught by police, not staff of Raj Bhavan. He did not enter the Raj Bhavan gates,” Commissioner of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore said.

Police also used the opportunity to show evidence of another incident in Myladuthurai, in which the Governor’s office also alleged that Ravi was “physically attacked with sticks and stones” while on way to attend a function at the Dharmapuram Adhinam in Mayiladuthurai. 

Wrong to say Governor physically attacked: ADGP

ADGP (Law and Order) A Arun showed a video of the April 19 incident in which police had parked a bus in front of the black flag protestors, exactly around the time Governor Ravi’s convoy passed through, preventing any untoward incident.

The video shows one person managing to throw a pole which fell on a car, which police claimed was a private vehicle and not part of the Governor’s convoy. “It’s false to say the Governor was physically attacked,” ADGP Arun said. “The same day, FIR was registered and 73 persons were arrested.” DGP Shankar Jiwal stated referred to independent surveys and the NCRB to drive home his point about the State faring well in the safety index.

Police, however, did not elaborate why Vinodh hurled petrol bombs outside Raj Bhavan and maintained that it was under investigation.