A day after a video of young men dangerously brandishing machetes and knives at a railway station surfaced on social media, Chennai police tell TNM that four students of Presidency College have been arrested .
According to the investigating officer, the students were caught just as they were exiting the Hindu College station on Monday at 4 pm. This was after members of the public informed the police on seeing them create a nuisance with sharp weapons in hand.
"They were dragging those machetes along the station platform and people were alarmed. But they didn't stop there. They were creating a ruckus outside the station as well, " says Assistant Commissioner of Police, Nandhakumar to TNM. "So immediately, a team led by the inspector rushed to the spot. Most of them escaped but we caught four students," he claims.
According to the officer, the police is not certain exactly when the video was shot and if the students they detained belonged to that group.
"The students were from different institutions including Presidency, Pachayappa's and New College," he explains. "And when we asked why they were indulging in such dangerous activities, they said it was for 'gethu' (bravado)," he says exasperated.
Following their detention, three of the students who were above 18 were remanded in front of a magistrate and sent to court and the other student will have to appear in front of the juvenile justice board.
They were booked under the arms act, for rioting and criminal intimidation.
"Efforts are on to identify the others involved. We have got some names from these boys and we will inform the college, so that we can find the others faster," says the officer.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised on the perceived inaction of the Railway Protection Force which is meant to be guarding the railway stations. In the aftermath of the gory murder of Infosys employee Swathi in Nungambakkam Railway Station in Chennai in 2016, the RPF had conducted surveys and promised to improve security at the railway station.