‘Routine exercise’: Puducherry Police reject Saurav Das’s harassment claim after family visit

Puducherry: Puducherry Police have rejected allegations of harassment and intimidation levelled by Cockroach Janta Party co-convenor Saurav Das after police visited the home of his relatives, saying the visit was part of a routine security exercise ahead of Independence Day.

A senior Puducherry police official confirmed that personnel had visited the residence of Das’s relatives but described the exercise as routine.

According to the official, police conduct such visits ahead of important occasions such as Independence Day, particularly at residences located near important routes.

The official said police personnel ask residents a few questions as part of security arrangements and denied that the visit was intended to harass or intimidate Das or his family.

The clarification came after Das alleged that Puducherry Police had visited his family home and subjected his relatives to extensive questioning. In a post on X, Das questioned the reason behind the visit and asked who had ordered it.

'Why this harassment?' Das said, while tagging the Puducherry Police. He also questioned whether the action was part of the legal procedure and alleged that the BJP government in Puducherry was attempting to intimidate his family.

Das further alleged that the action was being carried out at the behest of the Union government. He claimed that if the objective was to intimidate him into silence, the attempt would not succeed.

'If the intention is to intimidate me into silence, it will not work,' Das said, adding that the alleged action would instead strengthen his resolve to push for what he described as a better system.

He also criticised the police, saying they should uphold the law rather than behave like 'goondas'.

The police, however, have denied the allegations of intimidation and maintained that the visit was undertaken as part of routine security preparations ahead of Independence Day.

With both sides offering sharply different accounts of the incident, the police have maintained that the questioning of residents living near important routes is part of standard security measures, while Das has described the visit as an attempt to pressure him through his family.