‘Moral policing’ by cops scares couples at CMBT

Sources said that Krishnakumar, inspector of the CMBT police station, acting on an ‘information’ from a member of the public, along with a team chased away all the couples who were sitting inside the terminus on Tuesday. The inspector reportedly also took moral lessons for them before asking them to ‘get out’. 

When contacted the inspector maintained that he politely advised them to leave the place. “I told them that the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus was a place where people from across the country arrive and the sight of couples will tarnish the reputation of the city. I just advised them to either go to a park or beach,” Krishnakumar told DT Next defending his action. 

The inspector said that he also told his colleagues to keep a watch on couples who come to the bus stand and chase them away if they were not legally married. “Now they have free WiFi at the bus stand. So, couples are coming here to use the Internet and also to chat with each other. Elderly passengers will feel disgusted if they see couples sitting together,” he said. 

But, activists expressed strong condemnation and termed his action as an intrusion on right to movement. They allege that the police were trying to go beyond their call of duty and resort to moral policing as if they were trying to protect women. “We have heard policemen walking up to women, who stand alone, and asking them to return home citing safety reasons. They used to justify their action saying if something happens to them then police would be at the receiving end. We have come across so many incidents in the city in which cops have created problem with couples in public places,” Archana Sekar, a social activist told DT Next.