POLICE RIDE AT ROYAPETTAH

Neha Singh

At 5:25 am the intercom announces, “Anna entering R.K.Salai.” Two minutes later Tamil

Nadu Chief Minster M.Karunanidhi’s car, accompanied by other vehicles speeds by in

whirl of ear splitting sirens and eye popping flash lights.

Then there is complete silence.

Wearily, the police officers drag their feet back to the police car after having ensured

the CM’s safe passage during an eight hour night beat.

Imagine having to protect the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s residence, the United

States Consulate and Marina beach which is the second widest beach in the world, apart

from several residential colonies and big slums like Pudupet and Rottary Nagar. That

would certainly be a hard day’s work, except the nights require constant vigilance too.

Royapettah sub-inspector (crime) S.Chellapau describes his region as “a highly

vulnerable VVIP area.” But he adds with pride, “No major crimes have been reported

here for the last year and a half. The last big crime was a fratricide.”

At 10:30 pm the night beat starts and is supposed to go on till 7 am. But driver

Ramesh announces, “Today I am retiring at 2 am because I have been up since 6 pm

yesterday. My concentration might falter.” This is an argument Chellapau cannot win,

and so the night begins.

Today’s night beat is an E-beat, a program initiated two and a half years ago as part

of a policy to introduce technology in the police. Most Indian police stations still work

with pen and paper. In Royapettah police station, an entire room is devoted to piles of

yellow crumbling old files that threaten to topple over and break through the cracked

walls of the colonial era building. The station has two jails, one of which is a storehouse
for files. Six computers are kept near the entrance, some unplugged, all covered with

dust.

During the beat Chellapau stops at various police outposts, the Consulate and banks

and ATMs like the Indian Overseas bank. At each stop he presses the recording box

against what looks like a thin white square poster on the wall. “That,” he explains, “is the

receiver.” This is used to monitor the beats and ensure that the police are checking all the

most vulnerable places.

At Pudupet they cannot find the E-beat receiver as the wall is covered with political

posters. After five minutes the quest is abandoned and the beat continues.

At the Rottary Nagar police outpost the constable is asleep in an auto rickshaw.

Chellapau does not say anything when the constable hastily wakes up and salutes with

bleary eyes, but he makes a note in the attendance sheet.

Authority is not always respected. A motorcyclist at high speed drives straight past

the police car, ignoring them. A whistle blows shrilly and he is asked to stop. He halts,

looks puckishly at the police and zooms off. For ten seconds the officers are undecided,

then two of them jump into the sleek Honda Ascent police car accompanying the Qualis

and charge after the bike. Having taken a full circle the car comes back empty. They were

ten seconds too late.

Royapettah Crime Inspector M.Balamurugan is a picture of neat efficiency, right

from his taut blue cap to his polished brown shoes and shining brown belt where the

Tamil Nadu police motto ‘truth alone triumphs’ is brightly embossed. His straight backed

profile inspires respect. When he arrives to check on Chellapau’s beat at the junction, he

is saluted by all.
 Balamurugan says, “In this area crimes are limited to petty thefts. This year there

have been just 4 reported major crimes including a pick pocketing, theft of a two-wheeler

and a burglary.”

At 1:15 am the jeep’s headlights illuminate three young boys fixing a poster on a

wooden structure. They are questioned. Balamurugan explains, “We are checking anti-

government wall posters. They should not contain inflammatory remarks. The Tamil

Nadu General Assembly is going on.”

By 1:40 the jeep reaches Marina. The beach smells of fish and salt, offerings of the

sea. The cool air soothes the tired officers.

The beach is dotted with homeless people. Balamurugan does not disturb them. He

says, “They have nowhere else to sleep so we allow them to lie here, so long as they do

not make any trouble.”

Just behind D5, at 1:30 am, on a bus stop four boys are found. They are taken into

preventive custody. “This is a precaution that is taken between 1:30 and 4:30 am when

very few people have legitimate business outside and most crimes take place,” says the

Inspector.

The inspector meets two women home guards are on the beat on foot. It is not so rare

now to see women on night beats. Baalmurugan clarifies, “They are actually home guards

but since we are short of police personnel we use them. They are paid Rs 75 per night.”

“From 3 am we focus on residential areas,” says the Inspector. A man is spotted on a

bike. He does not have driving license and the motorcycle is seized. The driver drives the

bike to the Royapettah police station while Baalmurugan sits on the wheels.

Next, a lodge is checked, its register and rooms examined. Balamurugan takes a break

there, to wash and freshen up for the biggest assignment of the night.
 At 5 am the Chief Minister will come from Gopalapuram to Mylapore. He has a

house in each of these areas. Balamurugan says, “Tonight the Chennai Metropolitan

police made 15 preventive arrests under section 42(2) of the Tamil Nadu police act.” At

R.K.Salai he stops his vehicle at 4:50 am, gets out and converses with many other police

officers who have come to keep watch. They are nervous and stop all cars from driving

through five minutes before the arrival.

The Chief Minister’s car whizzes past the police officers who stand alone at regular

intervals in the dark. They will continue to make rounds with little rest, to ensure that

those who sleep, do so without fear.