Governor's complaint suggested more than one person was involved in the incident; CCTV footage shows otherwise, police said.
Published Oct 27, 2023 | 8:51 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2023 | 8:52 AM
The policemen who were posted as security near the main gate of Raj Bhavan rushed to nab the offender. (Creative Commons)
The Tamil Nadu Police has assured a fair and thorough probe into the incident in which petrol bombs were thrown near the gates of the Raj Bhavan in Chennai, and said the claims made by the Governor’s office in its complaint on the matter were contrary to the truth.
Referring to the Raj Bhavan’s complaint, DGP Shankar Jiwal said the claims made in it were untrue, and asserted that video footage backs the police version of events.
The state’s top cop said that it was claimed by the Raj Bhavan official in the complaint that more than one person was involved in the incident and that when they tried to enter the Raj Bhavan, they were prevented by the sentries on duty.
The complaint also contended that the petrol bomb exploded.
All these claims are contrary to the truth, the DGP said in an official release on Thursday, 26 October.
According to the police, the accused, Karukka Vinoth, who had four bottles filled with petrol in his possession, walked all alone to Sardar Patel (SP) Road — where Raj Bhavan is situated — from downtown Teynampet on the afternoon of Wednesday, 25 October.
While he was being overpowered by police personnel, some distance from the Raj Bhavan premises, he hurled two bottles which fell well short of the barricades placed on the road near the main gate of the Governor’s residence.
There was no damage or injuries to anyone, the police said.
Vinoth was arrested 30 meters away from the main gate of the Raj Bhavan. He was immediately apprehended thanks to alert police personnel deployed on Sardar Patel Road as part of tight security measures for the Raj Bhavan premises, the police said.
A comprehensive probe would be taken up in the petrol bomb case and already, security camera footages have been fully gathered, the DGP said.
“A complete, fair probe will be done. Appropriate security is being provided continuously to the Governor and the Raj Bhavan premises by the Tamil Nadu police.”
On Thursday, Ravi issued a brief statement on the official X account of the Raj Bhavan, levelling allegations against the Chennai City Police. The statement said that the police did not register Raj Bhavan’s complaint about the attack.
It added that the suo motu action of the police diluted the attack to an act of simple vandalism, and the accused was hurriedly arrested and remanded to jail at midnight, after a magistrate was woken up.
The Raj Bhavan also charged that the action of the police prevented a “detailed interrogation” which could have exposed those behind the attack. “Fair investigation is killed before it begins”, the Governor’s office stated.
A police complaint on the incident was lodged by the Governor’s Deputy Secretary T Sengottaiyan.
The complaint claimed that after the petrol bomb was hurled at the main entrance — Gate-1 — of the Raj Bhavan, it burst with a huge sound and set fire to the entrance.
He added that even as the Raj Bhavan security personnel were attempting to subdue the attacker, another petrol bomb was hurled, which resulted in severe damage to the main entrance to Raj Bhavan.
Somehow, one of the assailants was overpowered by the security, the complaint said.
Meanwhile, Law Minister S Regupathy said on X that “there is an information” that the advocate — who secured bail for the Raj Bhavan petrol bomb accused Vinoth in a previous, separate incident — belonged to the BJP.
When a lawyer belonging to Saffron party secures bail for Vinoth, who is also an accused in the BJP office petrol bomb case of 2022), it leads to suspicion and police have expanded their scope of probe covering this angle as well, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
