THRISSUR: Policeman who beat up bus employee suspended. Sufir (40), a policeman at Thrissur West Station, was suspended. Otali Jithin, the driver of the Yatra Darsh bus on the Kanjani route was beaten up by the policeman on Saturday. Alleging that the bus had tried to hit the jeep, the police stopped the bus and while the SI in the jeep was asking about the matter, the driver of the jeep, Sufir, got down and hit the driver.

The driver was admitted to the Thrissur General Hospital and later to the District Government Medical College after being beaten and bleeding from his ear. Private buses went on strike on the Thrissur-Kajani route on Sunday demanding action against the police officer who beat up the bus employee. The strike was called off after the bus owners and trade union representatives assured that immediate action would be taken against the policeman.

The intelligence department also reported that it was a serious lapse on the part of the policeman. More than ten policemen were suspended in the last month in Ollur, West, Crime Branch, East and Guruvayur stations in various incidents. The crime branch also ordered an investigation against the Nedupuzha CI in the incident where the SI was found drunk in a public place.