Former Union Minister’s Daughter Charged After Alleged Assault on SBI Manager in Chennai

Chennai’s Adyar police opened a case on July 21 after the chief manager of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch, Mr Namachivayam, lodged a formal complaint. The complaint named Kayalvizhi Azhagiri – the daughter of former Union Minister MK Azhagiri – accusing her of physically assaulting and threatening the bank’s manager, Harsheen Singh.

According to the manager, the friction began when Singh asked the building’s owner to fix a malfunctioning lift that served the bank’s NRI desk. He said repeated requests to the owner’s representative went unanswered, prompting him to write to Ms Azhagiri herself. The next day, she allegedly walked into the branch, berated the manager and, in a fit of anger, slapped him across the desk while they were speaking.

Footage from the bank’s CCTV, which later made rounds on social media, appears to show Kayalvizhi’s hand striking the manager. The video also captures her raised voice and the manager’s startled reaction. Both parties, however, claim the clip does not tell the whole story.

Police have registered the incident under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita – obscene language (296 (b)), trespass (329 (4)), voluntarily causing hurt (115 (2)) and criminal intimidation (351 (2)). If convicted, the accused could face a mix of fines and short‑term imprisonment, depending on how the court interprets the severity of the actions.

The episode has sparked a wave of commentary, with some observers pointing to the uneasy mix of political pedigree and everyday civic disputes. Others simply note that no one, regardless of family background, should feel above the law when a disagreement turns violent.

As the case proceeds, the SBI branch in Adyar remains operational, though security has reportedly been tightened. The lift issue is now being addressed, and the bank says it is reviewing its protocols for handling similar tenant‑bank conflicts in the future.