Suspicion triggers tension in Kancheepuram district

Chennai: Tension prevailed near Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram district on Tuesday after public intercepted the tempo van of an NGO ferrying two elderly persons and the dead body of a destitute and claimed that the NGO was up to illegal activities. However, police and revenue authorities who reached the scene found that the van belonged to a home, registered with the government, who take care of elderly people and bury the dead bodies of the elderly destitute who die at Government hospitals.

The NGO has a home for elderly at Paaleswaram in Uthiramerur taluk, police sources said. Meanwhile, around 3 pm on Tuesday, a van belonging to the NGO was travelling along Salavakkam-Edayamputhur road when an elderly woman started screaming from inside the van. Locals who happened to cross the van grew suspicious and intercepted the van. They questioned the driver Rajesh (28) about the screaming elderly woman and then informed the Salavakkam police.

Soon, a crowd gathered and police personnel along with Uthiramerur Tahsildar Akila rushed to the scene. Inside the van were groceries for the NGO’s East Tambaram home and a destitute body from the Government Hospital along with two elderly persons — a woman and a man. The woman was identified as Annammal of Perambakkam in Tiruvalur district and the man is from the Dindigul district. They were being shifted from one home to another, police sources said. While there was no clear illegal activity established, police recommended the elderly person to be moved to a government home and the dead body was taken to the Chengalpet government hospital for autopsy.