Ambulance waits as cop collects caste details of accident victims in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal, inquiry on

NAMAKKAL: In a shocking incident, a policeman in Namakkal was busy collecting details, including caste, of accident victims bleeding on the road on Monday instead of sending them to the hospital for treatment and the condition of one of the victims is critical.

The issue came to light after a shocking video, in which a victim can be heard pleading for help, went viral on social media. It is widely acknowledged that road accident victims must receive medical attention within the 'golden hour' to reduce the possibility of death. 

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon near the Kumarapalayam bypass road in Namakkal. Periyasamy (31) and Ramachandran (30), both construction workers from Thiruvannamalai, met with an accident while on their way to Coimbatore by bike. When trying to overtake a container lorry, the duo got trapped under the rear wheel of the truck. In the video, they are seen lying in pools of blood, their legs appearing severely injured.

A policeman, who came to the spot, started collecting the details of the



victims, including their name, address and caste, while the ambulance which had arrived to take them to a hospital was waiting. One of the victims could be heard pleading with the policeman to save his life.

The two men were eventually admitted to a government hospital in Erode for further treatment. Periyasamy’s condition is critical. A case has been registered by Kumarapalayam police.

Asked about this the cop's actions, Tiruchengode Deputy Superintendent of Police Selvam, shockingly, said that it was customary to collect details from the victims, so that their kin could be informed of their condition. 

Salem region Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) C Maheswari, however, assured that an inquiry would be conducted. “I have already instructed Namakkal SP about this case. After the inquiry, appropriate action will be taken,” she said.

Strongly condemning the policeman's act, Pathurupa Iyakkam state secretary Nalvinai Viswaraj, a lawyer, decided to lodge a complaint with the human rights commission.