Vaiko impact: Top cop gets marching orders

Chennai Police Commissioner K. Natarajan was shunted to the Electricity Board today, two days after MDMK chief Vaiko caught the city police unawares and marched into the city in the middle of the night, defying prohibitory orders.

The city police chief has been dumped in an insignificant post — ADGP, Vigilance of the Electricity Board. Transfer orders have also been issued to the suburban Chengai-East police Superintendent, K. Shankar, who met Vaiko an hour before his entry into the city and served orders on him not to go ahead with the march.

Police sources say the two officers had incurred the wrath of the ruling establishment for allowing Vaiko to march into Chennai unhindered. The MDMK leader, who refused to accept the police orders, took the bandobast by hitting the roads along with his 3,000 party volunteers at about 1 am. He was stopped by the police only 100 metres from his destination, Island Grounds.

ADGP (Law and Order) R. Natarajan returns as Chennai Police Commissioner, three months after he was eased out of the post.