Jayalalithaa flays police inaction over hotel attack

CHENNAI - Opposition leader and AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa Saturday launched a scathing attack on the state police for failing to take action against those involved in an attack on a star hotel here late Tuesday.

A mob of nearly a hundred people, who claimed to be supporters of a senior official of the Sun TV, ransacked the Checkers Hotel damaging property worth several lakh of rupees.

The mob was reportedly looking for the owner of the hotel who they claimed was sheltering a friend involved in an altercation with the Sun TV official, Hansraj Saxena, on the East Coast Road.

Saxena was travelling to Chennai in his car when three youths had a argument with him after his car grazed their vehicle.

Two groups of men, claiming to be Saxena’s friends, went to the houses of two youths and damaged the cars parked in front of the two houses. They were also looking for the third youth and went to Checkers Hotel thinking that its owner was sheltering him.

Jayalalithaa said: “The chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio, should have ordered police to take swift action.”

She said those who stage democratic protests are arrested and threatened by the police whereas those involved in the Tuesday’s attack “are being protected”.

The police have registered a first information report (FIR) against Saxena after hotel authorities filed a complaint.

Police said they are looking into the legal aspects before taking action against Saxena, and claimed that several people have been arrested for the fracas.