VELLORE: In a clear case of police highhandedness, a constable slapped a drunk passenger thrice for demanding to know why there were no buses to Tiruvannamalai from the Vellore new bus stand in the early hours of Sunday.

It all started when around 150 passengers were waiting for a bus for Tiruvannamalai. They accosted the time keeper who was unable to answer their queries and slowly sidled out of the area.

It was then that constable Vijayakumar from the bus stand’s police outpost came to the spot and got into an altercation with the irate passengers. Then a male passenger who was slightly drunk demanded to know why there were no buses and said the Villupuram TNSTC GM should come to the spot. The cop then lost his cool and slapped the drunk thrice.

Finally, when the time keeper succeeded in getting a spare bus, all clambered inside including the drunk who seated himself.Sources said “Vijayakumar then got into the bus picked up the quarrel and then punched the drunk with quite a few blows which was when all passengers got angry.

On Sunday the Vellore police put out a press release in which they claimed that Vijayakumar said he would arrange an additional bus, but that the drunk abused the time keeper and damaged the time chart.The release added that based on Vijayakumar’s complaint Vellore north police registered a case against two persons and that the release was to explain the issue to the print and electronic media.However, what the police failed to understand was that the entire episode was witnessed by three reporters who were on night duty said, “The drunk was just rambling and did not address the cop in the singular or even come near the time keeper’s table,” they said.