A Kerala cop was caught on camera bullying a parent and his child over fake theft claims and was later transferred
In the midst of public indignation over recent incidents of alleged police excesses in Kerala, another example of a man and his school-aged daughter being publicly harassed after being wrongfully accused of stealing has sparked a firestorm. On Sunday, disciplinary action was taken against the officer after a video of the event went viral, showing an officer of the ‘Pink Police’ team wrongly accusing the father and daughter of taking her cellphone. The incident occurred on August 27 at Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram district, within the jurisdiction of the rural police. The officer allegedly found the phone in her own bag after publicly grilling the father and child and accused them of stealing.
Jayachandran, a rubber tapping worker from Thonaikal, and his daughter had gone out to observe an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) vehicle passing over the route. According to reports, a van of the Pink Police — a division of the Kerala police intended to ensure the safety of women and children in public areas — was parked in the vicinity, and a civil police officer, Rajitha, caused a fuss, stating that the duo took her phone. Jayachandran told Asianet News that the police requested him to hand up her phone while he was standing on the side of the road.
“When I informed her I didn’t take it, she said she saw me take it and give it to my daughter. She then began questioning my kid, causing her to cry. Following that, she (the officer) assembled people around her, claiming that we had stolen her phone “According to Jayachandran. Many of those present, however, backed Jayachandran and his daughter. “I’d been here the whole time. He followed me here… I saw what you were doing to the little child. I have all of the images, “In the video, a man can be heard telling a police officer. “Why did you (harass) him so much in front of a child? You were yelling at the child to take out the phone “The individual can be heard stating.
According to accounts, during the ruckus, one of the people dialed the police officer’s phone number and discovered that the phone was in her bag, inside the vehicle. According to reports, the officer then departed the scene without even apologizing. Jayachandran and his daughter were devastated by the event of public abuse. Jayachandran told Asianet News in an interview, “My daughter did not sleep well the night before. She continued muttering in her sleep, ‘I didn’t take it.’ It was almost 3 a.m. when she finally fell asleep “He stated.
Meanwhile, the family filed a complaint with the Child Rights Commission and the chief of the Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police on Saturday. The Pink Police officer was transferred from Attingal to Kollam municipal police on Sunday. As part of the disciplinary procedure, she has also been requested to undergo a 15-day special training programme, according to a statement from the state police media centre.
