The Tiruvannamalai SP said a preliminary investigation revealed that the soldier's family had a civil dispute over a leased shop.
Published Jun 11, 2023 | 6:30 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 11, 2023 | 8:16 PM
Tiruvannamalai SP Karthikeyan said that the soldier's family was given police protection.
A video of an Army jawan from Tamil Nadu pleading for action against those who harassed his wife went viral on social media on Saturday, 10 June.
However, the police claimed that his wife was neither attacked nor harassed.
Prabhakaran, a Havildar who is currently posted in Kashmir, said in a video that he belonged to Padavedu village in Polur Taluk in the Tiruvannamalai district.
“My wife, who runs a shop outside the Renukambal temple in the village, was attacked by more than 120 persons,” the army soldier explained in the video.
“The shop belongs to HR and CE (the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department under the Tamil Nadu government). The shop was vandalised by a mob and my wife was injured in the attack. Her nose and ears were bleeding after the attack,” he added.
He also said that his wife was stripped half naked and there was no safety for her life.
“My commanding officer had spoken to the Tiruvannamalai Superintendent of Police (SP), who assured him action,” he said.
The soldier also alleged that the local police had not taken any action on the complaint. The jawan was seen kneeling and pleading for the security of his family.
After the video went viral, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said on Twitter on Sunday that he had had a telephonic conversation with the Havildar and his wife.
Had a telephonic conversation with the Havildar, who is bravely serving our country in Kashmir and his wife, based out of Tiruvannamalai. Truly gutted to hear her story & I felt ashamed that this had happened to her on our Tamil soil!
Our party people are rushing to attend to… https://t.co/E1E3vbXr3n
— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) June 11, 2023
“Truly gutted to hear her story & I felt ashamed that this had happened to her on our Tamil soil! Our party people are rushing to attend to her now, who is admitted to a hospital in Vellore [sic],” he said.
The state BJP president also said that the party would stand with Havildar’s family in getting justice for his wife.
However, the Tiruvannamalai police refuted the version of the events presented by the Havildar, saying that his wife was not attacked by a mob.
According to the police, a native of Kunnathur named Ramu asked one Selvamoorthy to vacate a shop, which the former’s father had rented to the latter five years ago.
The shop, which is on the Renugambal temple land, was rented to Selvamorthy by Ramu’s father for an advance amount of ₹9.5 lakh, and an agreement for a monthly rent of ₹3,000 was in place, said the police.
Ramu’s father died last year. Subsequently, Ramu urged the tenant to surrender the shop.
Discussions in this regard were held in the presence of village elders, and it was decided that the advance amount paid by the tenant Selvamoorthy should be returned on 10 February, 2023, said the police.
Selvamoorthy, however, refused to either vacate the shop or accept the advance money that he paid, and several months went by.
Around 10 am on 10 June, Ramu and his family members went to the shop and insisted that Selvamoorthy vacate it, said the police.
Refusing to vacate it, Selvamoorthy’s son Jeeva attacked Ramu with a knife, and the latter sustained an injury on his head, the cops said.
“On seeing this, the public gathered in front of the shop condemned Selvamoorthy’s family. His family members, including his wife and daughter Keerthy — the wife of the Army jawan — were present there at the time,” said the police.
“The public vandalised the shop. No one attacked or harassed Keerthy or her mother during the tussle. The issue was blown out of proportions,” the police said.
The Santhavasal police subsequently filed a case based on the complaint from both sides and are inquiring into the issue.
Meanwhile, the Tiruvannamalai district Superintendent of Police (SP) K Karthikeyan said a preliminary investigation revealed that Selvamoorthy’s family had a civil dispute with Ramu’s family over a leased shop.
“An FIR has been registered based on the complaint and the case is under investigation. Appropriate legal action will be taken. The soldier’s family has been given police protection,” the SP said.
