Residents in Murukampattu, Tamil Nadu, staged a protest over the lack of drinking water, which turned chaotic when police were seen allegedly mistreating a local lawyer. Around 500 families in the area had been without drinking water for nearly 10 days due to a malfunctioning pump. To draw attention to the issue, residents blocked the Chennai–Tirupati Highway with empty plastic containers after their repeated complaints yielded no action.
Police intervened to disperse the gathering, leading to a confrontation where lawyer Ayyappan, a resident of Murukampattu, was reportedly mishandled by the officers. Tensions rose as residents surrounded the police, but the situation calmed down after authorities assured the release of water.
In a separate incident from July in Chennai, video footage surfaced showing police allegedly mistreating journalists covering a protest by temporary teaching staff at the Directorate of Public Instruction campus. Journalists claimed that officers pushed a reporter, used offensive language, and threatened those capturing the arrests. One female journalist, who witnessed an officer hitting a protester, began recording the incident on her phone.
The video caused widespread outrage, prompting the journalists’ union to file a formal complaint seeking accountability and ensuring the safety of reporters covering public demonstrations.