By Express News Service

VELLORE: Peeing by a police head constable near a footwear shop in Ambur on Tuesday night triggered a chain reaction that ultimately required the deployment of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to maintain law and order.

Despite the government aggressively promoting the Swachh Bharat message, the cop chose to take a leak in the open. The footwear shop owner, also a local biggie, chided him for doing so. A few auto drivers from the adjacent stand joined in and allegedly beat up the policeman, who was later admitted to Ambur hospital.

Six persons, including five auto drivers, were arrested and 28 autos parked near the bus stand seized after the brawl.

The situation became so tense that 300 police personnel from various parts of the district and also personnel attached to the RAF had to deployed before the Ambur Town police station.

According to the police, Gunasekaran (45), a head constable attached to the Special Branch CID for Ambur Taluk Police, arrived at the Ambur bus stand in plain clothes and was on his way to Vellore. Around 7 pm, he went near the auto stand and relieved himself near a sandal shop owned by Chandran (40) of Lalakottai. Sources said Chandran is a money lender.

Chandran got into an argument with Gunasekaran, who in turn allegedly abused Chandran. Five persons sitting in the auto stand intervened in favour of Chandran. Gunasekaran, who was in his civvies, was allegedly beaten up. He sustained injuries and was admitted to Ambur hospital.

Around half-past midnight, a group of police personnel reached Lalakottai area and randomly took five persons into custody. They were not the ones who had allegedly assaulted the cop.

Subsequently, about 200 local residents laid siege to the police station demanding their release. That was when the RAF and other cops were deployed.

After long drawn talks, Chandran and the five auto drivers - Barath (20), Muthu (28), Vinayagam (42), Jayakumar (27) and Apu (21), all hailing from Devalapuram of Ambur, were handed over to police and the other five men were released from the station. The whole issue got a new spin when relatives of the drivers claimed that the argument broke out only because the policeman urinated near an Ambedkar statue. The police denied the claim.

Ambur Deputy Superintendent of Police Thanarajan pointed out that the Ambedkar statue was situated inside the bus stand complex and there was no way the policeman could have urinated on it in full public view.

On Wednesday, the Ambur police struck, seizing about 28 autos for encroaching the service road and disrupting traffic. Thanaraj defended the crackdown, saying the service road was meant for auto parking, adding that autorickshaws were disrupting the vehicular movement in the area.