‘No obligation to protect offenders; comprehensive probe into complaints against police atrocities’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: DGP Ravada Chandrasekhar has demanded a comprehensive probe into the complaints against police atrocities. He said that if there are incidents where no action is taken, action will be taken after investigating them. The DGP added that there is a situation where the entire force is being blamed for the wrongdoings of some. Meanwhile, false allegations are also being raised and everything should be examined in detail and action should be taken, he said. The DGP's directions were at the meeting of northern region officers. The DGP said that they don’t have any obligation to protect the wrongdoers.

The visuals of Kunnamkulam Police assaulting youth congress leader V S Sujith had emerged recently. Sujith got the CCTV footage of the incident that happened two and a half years ago after a long legal battle. Four cops including the then sub inspector were suspended after this footage surfaced. Sujith and the Congress are demanding strict legal action against the policemen in the incident.

The information of the custodial torture at the Peechi police station came to light soon after the shock of the Kunnamkulam incident subsided. The police beat the owner and employee of the Lalys Food and Fun hotel in Pattikad for no reason. After months of legal battle, the hotel owner Ousep got the CCTV footage of the incident. The issue with a native of Palakkad, who had come to the hotel, reached the station. Reports said the police demanded Rs 5 lakh to settle the case. A detailed investigation into the incident is underway.

Then came a group of youths with a complaint of being brutally beaten by cops of Maranallur police station in Thiruvananthapuram. The incident happened in last December. The youths said the assault raised health and work-related issues. The officers who came to investigate a ganja case took the youths into custody and attacked them. The youths alleged that they sprayed chilli powder in their private parts and eyes and beat them with coconuts.