After widespread condemnation, the Chengalpattu police have booked the two women who were caught on camera assaulting a security guard at the Five Rathas in Mahabalipuram near Chennai. In a video clip that went viral on October 22, a security guard at the monument can be seen stopping a car driven by a man. Two women were in the back seat of the car along with another man in the passenger seat. The guard, following rules, told the group not to head into the no-parking zone at the heritage site, for which they first hurled verbal abuses at him before the women got out of the vehicle and physically assaulted him. The two men, who also joined in, in attacking the guard, have been booked as well.
The incident, reports say, occurred on October 20. The accused have reportedly been identified as S Prabhu Inbadass (41), K Keerthana (29) and Shanmuga Priya (38) from Chennai. Shanmugapriya’s husband Krishnamoorthy is absconding, according to The Hindu.
In the video, the security guard can be seen standing in front of the car, instructing the group not to head into the no-parking zone. The driver nudges him with the front of the car, intimidating the guard into stepping aside. When the guard reacts angrily to this, one of the women gets out of the car and rains down blows on him. The second woman too quickly rushes into the fray and assaults him as well. When the guard tries to defend himself, the two men also begin hitting him. The entire incident was caught on camera by a passerby. The clip was later posted to X by a journalist on October 22, tagging the relevant police handles.
The video shocked and outraged many who shared the video demanding action against the group for assaulting a guard who was simply doing his job. According to a report in The Hindu, the guard Ezhumalai also filed a complaint with the police.