Incident where man was assaulted by officials at Water Authority office; Human Rights Commission orders action

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Human Rights Commission has ordered action in a case where a man was allegedly assaulted by water authority officials when he visited their office to inquire about a disconnection. After the Chief Engineer of the Kerala Water Authority requested the commission to take necessary measures to prevent such incidents from recurring, Justice Alexander Thomas, the Commission's Chairperson, directed that the investigation be conducted by a police officer, not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner.

The decision comes after the Executive Engineer, representing the Chief Engineer, submitted a report stating that the matter should be impartially investigated to uncover the truth. The report recommended handing over the complaint to the Vigilance Department and monitoring the activities of the Pongummoodu Section. It also highlighted that some officials in the section were pressuring the office head and suggested transferring them to other locations.

Justice Alexander Thomas emphasized that the police should investigate the incident, where one person was injured during the alleged assault by the officials. The Commission instructed the District Police Chief to assign an Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) to carry out the investigation. The ACP must record statements from the victim, the accused water authority officials, and witnesses, as well as review CCTV footage from the incident. If the investigation reveals evidence of wrongdoing, the findings should be reported to the Commission. The responsible individuals must be identified, along with their names and official addresses.

The ACP must submit the investigation report to the District Police Chief within three weeks. Based on the report, the District Police Chief must decide on registering an FIR and issue necessary directions to subordinate officers. The actions taken and the ACP's report must be submitted to the Commission by March 3. Additionally, the District Police Chief or a senior officer must appear before the Commission during a sitting scheduled for March 10.

This action was initiated based on a complaint registered suo moto by the Commission, following a news report about the incident. The incident reportedly occurred on November 28 last year near the cash counter of the Pongummoodu section of the Kerala Water Authority.