Lorry overturns near Sriperumbudur, cops make owner run in circles

CHENNAI: A lorry carrying concrete blocks from Andhra Pradesh to Tambaram overturned on the Sriperumbudur-Manimangalam Road around midnight on Tuesday, but remained unattended for more than 16 hours due to a jurisdiction dispute between three police stations.

Around 10 pm, when the lorry carrying AAC blocks reached near Malaipattu, the driver lost control, and the vehicle veered off the road and toppled into roadside bushes.

The driver who sustained injuries was rescued by local residents and was taken to a government hospital. On Wednesday morning, the lorry owner arranged for cranes to recover the vehicle. He approached the Sriperumbudur police station to file an official complaint for insurance and legal purposes.

But the officials directed him to the Somangalam station under the Tambaram Commissionerate, stating that the accident location fell under that limit. But Somangalam police redirected them to the Koovathur Traffic Investigation Wing, stating that only the traffic wing handles road accidents.

But the Koovathur police said the spot fell within the Sriperumbudur police's jurisdiction, sending the lorry owners back to the starting point. After the charade continued for nearly 20 hours, the owner got the lorry back on to the road, but is yet to succeed in getting the case filed.

According to the lorry owners, moving a vehicle involved in an accident without an FIR could lead to legal complications. Without a police report, they would be unable to claim insurance for the damaged AAC blocks, the lorry's repair costs, or the driver's medical expenses. Moreover, police could question the recovery if done without a formal complaint.