Five policemen in Tiruvannamalai suspended for not acting against illegal liquor sale; four inspectors transferred

The Superintendent of Police (SP), K. Karthikeyan, has issued suspension orders to five police personnel attached to Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) of the district police in Tiruvannamalai on Wednesday for dereliction of duty.

The Superintendent of Police (SP), K. Karthikeyan, has issued suspension orders to five police personnel attached to Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) in Tiruvannamalai on Wednesday for dereliction of duty.

Mr. Karthikeyan, told The Hindu that despite specific alerts on illegal liquor sale and arrack units, the suspended policemen did not act on them. The suspended policemen are: S. Arulnathan, Special Sub-Inspector (SSI), Kannamangalam police; head constable V. Harihara Rajanayakan of Chetpet police; constables K. Babu, D. Urjan Nirmal and A. Solai of the Armed Reserve (AR) wing and Chengam police.

Alongside, M.S. Muthusamy, DIG (Vellore range) has transferred four PEW inspectors of Cheyyar, Polur, Chengam and Tiruvannamalai town limits to ‘non-sensitive duties’.

Read also: Spurious liquor deaths in Tamil Nadu | CM Stalin seeks weekly report on action against illicit liquor

Drones were operated on Jawadhu Hills and Kalvarayan Hills in the district on Wednesday. A total of 37 special teams have been formed to track and report illegal liquor and arrack activities in the district. Each team comprises 7 to 8 policemen led by a Sub-Inspector. Most of the hillocks where arrack units are detected do not have human habitations and are inaccessible.

The police have identified 15 ‘black spot villages’ on the foothills of Jawadhu and Kalvarayan Hills where illegal arrack were sold. Most of the sellers are old people and persons with disabilities. A special rehabilitation centre for them is being readied at the Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvannamalai, the police said.

At the joint review meeting on prevention of illegal sale of liquor and arracks, Collector B. Murugesh stressed the need to intensify the surveillance on the menace in the district. The revenue divisional officer (Cheyyar) and tahsildars were asked to direct village administrative officers (VAOs) to alert officials on such illegal activities in the area.