Chennai
Complaints have been pouring in from the public that the patrol cops at Tiruvanmiyur beach focus the high-beam lights from their vehicles on each and every couple sitting on the beach in the evening hours.
While cops try to cover it up by saying it was their routine exercise, beach regulars say policemen abuse and insult the couple even if they sit close by asking ‘objectionable’ questions. “Instead of maintaining the law and order, they keep harassing the couples on the beach. In a way, they are resorting to moral policing, which was uncalled for. They stare at couples for a long time to embarrass them and invade their privacy,” Swasthika, a resident of Sholinganallur said.
There had been instances of policemen threatening young couples that they would inform their parents about their visit to the beach. Cops have even offered to drop the girls alone at their residences, said Krishnakumar, an IT professional from Tiruvanmiyur. “Most couples behave properly at the beach and the police have no business to poke their nose into somebody else’ leisure time,” he said.
However, some elderly, persons differed from this view and defended the cops’ action saying that the action was to maintain public order. “It is difficult to visit the beach with our families, as a number of youngsters resort to public display of affection. Such acts in a public place is highly objectionable,” K Venkataraman, a retired government employee and a regular visitor to the beach, said.
When contacted, P Jawahar, inspector of Tiruvanmiyur police station, told DT Next that he would initiate strict action on personnel if somebody lodges a complaint. “The instruction given to the patrol team is to clear people sitting on the beach past 11 pm. Policemen have been instructed not to harass people. Our patrol vehicles need not go to the beach and monitor people sitting there,” he said.
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