AR Rahman's Concert: Two IPS Officers Transferred Over Traffic Snarl in Chennai

The order was issued two days after chaos ensued in AR Rahman's concert in Chennai due to mismanagement of crowd.

Soon after the concert, many fans took to social media to slam Rahman and ACTC Events, with complaints of poor crowd control, no seating arrangement, and lack of parking facilities.

(Source: Screenshot/@WhatTheFahad/X)

Two days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's convoy was stuck in a traffic jam, reportedly triggered by music composer AR Rahman's concert in Chennai's East Coast Road (ECR) on 10 September, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Pallikaranai Deepa Sathyan was transferred from her post. The officer is to be put on complete wait list, a statement government order issued on Tuesday, 12 September, said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) for Chennai City East Disha Mittal too was shunted out, reportedly after traffic chaos following a protest by the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Valluvar Kottam.

Why? The order issued by Chennai Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal did not state the reasons for the transfer. Both the officers have not been given further postings as yet.

What happened? The DGP's order comes two days after chaos ensued in Rahman's concert 'Marakumma Nenjam' on Sunday, 10 September, which took place in ECR's Adityaram Palace City, after alleged mismanagement of crowd, resulting a stampede-like situation at the entrance.

Soon after the concert, many fans took to social media to slam Rahman and ACTC Events, with complaints of poor crowd control, no seating arrangement, and lack of parking facilities.

Fans alleged that the place was overcrowded as the organisers sold more tickets than they should ideally have. As a result, the venue had at least twice the number of people that it could accommodate, making it difficult for those who had come to even get in.

Sathyan's jurisdiction included the Panaiyur stretch in ECR, which was choked in traffic for hours due to this.

Sexual harassment allegations: The Quint spoke to four women about the alleged harassment and molestation they were subjected to, when they attended ARR's concert.

"I asked a man, whom I addressed as Anna (brother), the way to leave the venue as I had a panic attack. He looked me in the eye, and the next thing I knew, his hand was on my breasts and I was groped. I froze. I couldn't move an inch. A horrific, traumatising experience I can never get over," a 31-year-old independent filmmaker shared with The Quint.

The women said that the incident aggravated their anxiety and demanded accountability from the ACTC Events, the organisers of the event.

AR Rahman's response: Soon after the backlash, the music composer came forward and offered remedy to all his fans who couldn’t enter his recent concert. In an interview to The Hindu, Rahman said he was "terribly disturbed" by the incident.

The Tamabram police, meanwhile, initiated an investigation into the issue. "We have called for an enquiry to look into the reasons for overcrowding and traffic congestion, and also into the overall arrangements made in connection with the event by the organisers," Tambaram Police Commissioner Amalraj told media persons on Monday, 11 September.