Shymol said only one thing after being slapped by SHO; 'Police's claims have fallen apart'

KOCHI: After a gruelling wait of nearly two years, Shymol finally received justice in the case where she was allegedly manhandled by SHO Pratapachandran at the Ernakulam North police station. Shymol, who was pregnant at the time, reportedly endured an ordeal that should never happen to a pregnant woman in a police station. From the beginning, Shymol and her husband maintained that the truth of the incident was captured on the station’s CCTV cameras, following which they initiated a legal battle seeking justice.

After the couple approached the court, the police allegedly tried to proceed with the case by slapping on false charges and non-existent sections. According to the family, the police accused them of trying to forcibly free Shymol’s husband from custody, attacking the police station, scratching and assaulting the SHO, and creating a tense situation by arriving at the station with infants. These allegations, the family claims, were part of fabricated cases filed against them.

Shymol’s husband was arrested and remanded for five days after he recorded visuals of police assaulting two people in a public place on his mobile phone. Children who witnessed the events at the police station reportedly suffered psychological distress for several days. It was following these developments that the family intensified its legal fight. They filed a complaint through a lawyer and gave statements before a judge. After nearly a year-long legal struggle, Shymol finally obtained the CCTV footage related to the incident.

The incident occurred on June 20, 2024. Shymol’s husband had filmed police personnel beating two individuals in public. Officers in plain clothes then detained him and took him to the police station. When Shymol reached the station to enquire about her husband, CI Pratapachandran is alleged to have assaulted her. The CCTV footage reportedly shows the officer pushing her by the chest and slapping her on the face.

Despite complaints filed by Shymol and her family, the police initially denied the allegations. They claimed that the woman had dragged her infants to the station and that officers were merely attempting to resolve the issue. Police also accused the complainant of assaulting police personnel. With no action taken despite repeated demands to release the CCTV footage, Shymol and her husband ultimately approached the court directly.