COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore City Police on Wednesday arrested two men for assaulting an employee at a fuel station near the Gandhipuram bus terminus after he refused to dispense petrol in a plastic container, citing safety regulations.
The incident, which took place on Tuesday night on Dr Nanjappa Road, came to light after a video of the altercation circulated widely on social media. In the footage, one of the assailants is seen claiming to be a relative of a State Minister.
According to police, the accused have been identified as Ragavendra (27) of Rathinapuri and his friend Sreejayashankar (24). They arrived at the fuel station around 10 pm and requested petrol in a plastic bottle, stating that their two-wheeler had run out of fuel.
However, Prashanth (28), an employee at the outlet, refused the request, citing government regulations that prohibit dispensing petrol in loose containers. The duo then approached the station supervisor, who also declined the request for the same reason.
Police said the situation escalated into an argument, during which one of the men allegedly threatened the employee by claiming to be related to a minister. The accused then allegedly assaulted Prashanth before leaving the spot.
Based on a complaint lodged by Prashanth, the Kattur police registered a case and arrested them both on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a statement issued on behalf of Minister for Backward Classes Welfare V Sampath Kumar denied that the accused were related to him and warned against the misuse of his name to intimidate the public.
The statement said strict action would be taken against anyone taking the law into their own hands or misusing the names of Ministers to threaten citizens, adding that the government would not compromise on maintaining law and order. Further investigation is under way.