Unfazed, Pon Manickavel challenges complainants

Staging a counter-attack on the personnel who lodged complaints against him with the State police chief, Idol Wing special officer AG Pon Manickavel said they had neither registered any FIR nor effected any arrest so far. The comments on Wednesday came hours after a group of policemen went to the DGP to complain against him for the second day.

“You ask them about the number of cases and arrests they had made while working in the Idol Wing. During their 450-day tenure, these personnel have not registered any FIR, not made any arrest and also not filed any charge sheets,” Pon Manickavel told DT Next.

Sources noted that so far 24 police personnel, including additional SP Elango, have lodged complaints against Pon Manickavel, who was appointed as special officer to head the unit after he retired as Inspector General on November 30.

This is the first time in the Police Department, supposedly a disciplined force, so many personnel are queuing up to lodge complaints against a superior. Even more unusual is how the top brass has allowed ‘disgruntled’ personnel to interact with the media, besides sending a press release on the issue.

Talking about one officers, Pon Manickavel noted that he had disappeared for 210 days without giving an explanation after he was asked to investigate a case. “Everyone who had petitioned the DGP so far talked about mental stress. In police, everybody works under stress,” he added.

Except a few officials who were originally posted in the unit, others in Idol Wing are not supposed to register cases or make arrests, he noted. All those who were brought in from other units are supposed to assist the Idol Wing officers in other works.

“I am doing my duty. All those raising complaints should ask themselves if they are doing their duty for the salary they receive,” he added.

“I’m waging a lone war. When I arrested HR&CE Additional Commissioner M Kavitha, a petition was moved before the High Court the next day demanding the case be handed over to the CBI. Similarly, after the arrest of another Additional Commissioner, N Thirumagal, personnel within my division are lodging a complaint against me,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, after lodging his complaint to the DGP, Idol Wing Additional DSP Kumar, who had investigated theft of bronze idols from Pandanallur Sri Pasupatheeswarar temple in Thanjavur, alleged he was forced to arrest accused persons without sufficient evidence. “I told Pon Manickavel that we cannot arrest without sufficient evidence. He threatened to suspend me then. At that time, he made me remand the accused. For 256 days I went on medical leave because I could not work with him,” he said.