IB officer thrashed by police

CHENNAI: An Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer was allegedly thrashed black and blue by at least half a dozen police officers in the city on Tuesday. It’s alleged that the officer was subjected to even third-degree treatment usually reserved for hardcore criminals. The officer came under the attack when the police officers were looking for some youths, including a law student, who had assaulted a sub-inspector on night patrol.The battered assistant central intelligence officer, Thirunavukkarasu, a resident of Vyasarpadi who joined the IB four years ago and now posted in Andhra Pradesh, is now nursing crushed palms, fractured left leg, neck and stomach injuries in a private hospital. His mistake: Dhileeban, the law student wanted for the attack on the SI, is his brother.Thirunavukkarasu has been admitted to the Kamachi National Hospital in Mannady, north Chennai. Interestingly, Room Number 110 on the first floor of the hospital has been kept locked from outside. “I cried aloud and told them I am an IB officer. They started raining blows the moment I told them Dhileeban is my brother. They dragged me to Vyasarpadi police station. There, an SI stood on my thighs with his boots on and another smashed my toes with lathi,” said Thirunavukkarasu, whose plight was brought to the TOI’s notice by some advocates. “When my family came running behind me, and showed the IB identity card to the officers, they simply threw it in the dustbin,” he said with tears welling in his eyes. He said the response of the IB top brass and senior police officers was more shocking than the attack itself. While the guilty SIs and their seniors came for “compromise”, the IB seniors told him not to lodge any complaint, Thirunavukkarasu said. He was sent to a private nursing home instead of being taken to the government hospital.It all started around midnight of Tuesday when special SI S Baskaran, 55, and home guard constable K Prabakaran, 23, were attacked by a gang. Moments later, at least six SIs, who had just completed training, came knocking at Thirunavaukkarasu’s home.A senior city police officer said the IB officer didn’t reveal his identity to officials, apparently because he was in the city on an unofficial visit. “Whether he was beaten after he showed his identity card would be investigated,” he said.“The fact that a central intelligence officer has come under the attack at the hands of state police had been hushed up by both police and IB officials. No case has been registered yet,” said an advocate requesting anonymity.