After having been caught up with controversy over threatening the street vendors through his actions, Municipal commissioner of Vaniyambadi, Tirupattur Cecil Thomas has been removed from his office and put under the waiting list, with no immediate posting. 

He has been removed from his post on Wednesday after his approach towards the street vendors went intimidating and erupted controversy across the state. On Tuesday, the videos of him went viral across social media in which he was seen dropping the produce, damaging the goods of the street vendors, and toppling the pushcarts. 

According to the reports, the commissioner claimed that he acted against the violators who defied the lockdown rules imposed by the state government in Tirupattur district to contain the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, his action of destroying the goods of the vendors webbed controversy and negative feedback following which he has been removed from his office. 

Some of the residents, activists, and political leaders had said that the commissioner's action of toppling the business had caused a huge loss for the vendors. The district administration didn't take any action against the officer initially and after his video went viral and the intervention of the State Human Rights Commission, the collector has suspended him from the post and he has now been under the waiting list. 

The State Human Rights Commission has issued a notice in this regard. The activists claim that the violations can be imposed with fines or filing cases but the commissioner had reportedly destroyed the produce and the vendors. Tirupattur district collector has confirmed that the accused officer has been suspended and he has been replaced by the commissioner of Melvisharam in Ranipet district. 

Suspended Commissioner Cecil Thomas issued his apology and expressed his regret to the vendors and he said that he has acted to remind people not to violate the rules. He also had given compensation and relief materials to the affected vendors.