Salem kids practice skating on National Highway, coach held

COIMBATORE: A skating coach was arrested by police in Salem on Tuesday for taking students for training on the National Highway.

According to police, M Prabakaran from Tiruchengode in Namakkal owns a skating academy in Kannankurichi in Salem.

On Monday, he took a group of students to skate on the Salem-Namakkal National Highway.

“He took the students by ignoring the risks involved as several vehicles were passing by the way. The coach also did not get prior permission from police to skate on the NH,” police said.

Some passerby took video of students skating on the NH by disregarding their safety and shared it on social media. As the video went viral inviting criticisms from netizens, the Mallur police booked Prabakaran on various sections of IPC, including 268 (public nuisance), 283 (danger or obstruction in a public way), 290 (punishment for public nuisance) and 75 (causing cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The coach was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the police also advised the parents of students not to allow their wards to participate in such activities by ignoring their safety and in violation of traffic norms.