TN POLICE BLEEDS TO DEATH AS MANTRIS BABUS WAIT FOR HELP

If the brutal murder of a sub-inspector of police in Tirunelveli in southern Tamil Nadu on Thursday was shocking, here is another shocker. Top officials as well as ministers were present where the SI lay writhing due to injuries from a crude bomb explosion and sickles, but it took 30 minutes before he could be shifted to a vehicle. And by then it was too late. SI Vetrivel, father of two, was brought dead to Tirunelveli Medical College hospital.

State health minister MRK Panneerselvam, health secretary V K Subburaj, director of public health S Elango, besides environment minister TPM Mohideen Khan and district collector M Jayaraman, reached the spot in a convoy, minutes after the SI was brutally attacked by a seven-member gang. TV footages aired on Friday afternoon showed chilling visuals of the officer writhing and groaning in pain on the road while officials and ministers stood around, apparently waiting for an ambulance .

Vetrivel was even seen sitting up, but the footage was partially blurred to avoid showing the badly wounded lower part of his body. Panneerselvam and other officials, meanwhile, were busy talking over mobiles, possibly trying to get an ambulance. None seemed to have had the presence of mind to shift the wounded policeman to one of several vehicles close by. The scene was captured by a local videographer.

However, officials on the spot denied any undue delay, contending that barely 10 minutes elapsed before Vetrivel was carried into an escort vehicle and rushed to hospital. Health minister MRK Panneerselvam told TOI: We ran out of the car to help the police nab the criminals. I ensured the doctors called the ambulance and attended to the victim. The victims family, too, was unwilling to blame officials , saying they had confidence that top police officers would have done their best to save one of their own.

Vetrivel, attached to Alwarkurichi police station in Tirunelveli, was attacked by a gang allegedly targeting another SI, Sivasubramaniam, working in the neighbouring Kadayam police station. Since Vetrivels physique resembles Sivasubramaniams , and as the victim was wearing a helmet, the assailants attacked him first with bombs and then hacked him with sickles. It was a clear case of mistaken identity , police said.

NO ONE TO HELP: A TV grab of injured SI Vetrivel

(SOURCE : TOI)