Click to play videoTamil Nadu Public Health Minister MRK Panneerselvam and Minister for Environment, Youth Welfare and Sports TPM Moideen Khan allegedly watched and failed to help R Vetrivel, a decorated police officer, who bled top death after being attacked by gangsters.
CNN-IBN grilled Tamil Nadu Health Secretary VK Subburaj about the incident and the administrative apathy.
CNN-IBN: Sir, could you just explain to us first what really happened there. Two ministers and you were an eyewitness to a police officer dying in the middle of the road and yet you all did nothing?
VK Subburaj: Our convoy was stopped because there were lot of fumes. We thought some crackers were burst by some people and then someone said that there was a bomb blast and asked us not to move out for sometime. Then everyone was inside the vehicle when we saw one policeman in a uniform lying in a pool of blood. We could see that three-fourth of his right leg was not there and he had a very big head injury. One police person said that there was a bomb blast and please don't step out for sometime.
CNN-IBN: Why is it that there was enough time to capture a video but no one went to take the policeman to the hospital?
VK Subburaj: To transfer the person, we were waiting for the 108 ambulance to come because they would be able to provide the scientific attendance because the condition of the body was such. Carrying him in another vehicle wouldn’t have been scientific, it would have led to problems. Definitely, there was a delay in the vehicle. We sent the person to the Ambasamudram Hospital, from there the 108 ambulance took care of him.
CNN-IBN: Why could you or the ministers not have taken the policeman in your car or the convoy cars? Couldn't that have saved his life?
VK Subburaj: No, no! First you must see this is a bomb blast situation. Some unused bombs or mines were also said to be there. Then even the body was not in a condition for transportation. We called for the ambulance as carrying him in any other vehicle wouldn't help in the process.
CNN-IBN: Are you saying that there just wasn’t any vehicle that could have taken this dying man away, one police escort went behind criminals, the others were unable to pick up his body?
VK Subburaj: Yes, In fact one vehicle chased them in spite of the fact that they had bombs and deadly weapons.
CNN-IBN: Is it not fair that the first reaction ought have been to save the dying policeman ?
VK Subburaj: One team started doing this work and one team started doing another work.
CNN-IBN: As an IAS officer, as the Health Secretary of the state, has seeing such an incident shaken you? What impact does it have on you as a person?
VK Subburaj: No, I think in the given situation we have done our best, including other persons in the convoy, irrespective of the fact who was in that position same thing would have happened.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.