SI fires at Tenkasi farmer after toddy-tapping row

CHENNAI: A police sub-inspector opened fire on a farmer, critically injuring him in both legs, following a heated argument over palm tree toddy-tapping in Maruthamputhur village near Alangulam in Tenkasi district on Tuesday, triggering widespread protests.

The incident took place when sub-inspector Isakki Raja, attached to the Alangulam police station, received a tip-off about illegal toddy sale activities in the Maruthamputhur area. Acting on the information, Raja took two constables and conducted a patrol in the forested region. During the patrol, the officer noticed a toddy-tapping tool fitted on a palm tree. He then proceeded to the house of the tree’s owner, Manikandan, 32, a farmer who doubles up as a toddy tapper.

Raja took Manikandan and his father to the palm grove for questioning. Manikandan’s brother, Sivan Ponraj, and other family members saw the police grilling and approached the spot. According to local accounts, sub-inspector Isakki Raja allegedly spoke abusively and in a degrading manner to the family members present. He then reportedly forced Manikandan to climb the palm tree and retrieve the toddy pot. While Manikandan was climbing, the officer continued to hurl abusive language at the relatives standing nearby.

Enraged by the treatment, Manikandan climbed down and began arguing with Raja. The officer, reportedly angered further, picked up a wooden log nearby to strike Manikandan. In the ensuing scuffle, the log unexpectedly hit Raja’s own head, causing a severe wound and bleeding from his skull. Furious and bleeding heavily, the sub-inspector pulled out his service revolver and fired at Manikandan. He shot four times, with two bullets hitting Manikandan in both his legs, leaving him in blood.

Both injured men were rescued by other police personnel and taken to Tenkasi Government Hospital for treatment. News of the shooting spread quickly, sparking outrage. Over a hundred people gathered and staged a protest at the Alangulam junction road, urging the police to take immediate action and punish the sub-inspector for shooting a farmer who they claimed had no connection to any crime.