Cops assault four members of family in Pathanamthitta

Kottayam: Chaos reigned for a short time when Pathanamthitta Police arrived at Aban Junction and beat up the members of a family, who were on their way home after attending a marriage reception in Adoor on Tuesday night. Four people, including a couple, were injured as a police team, led by SI Jinu JU in mufti, resorted to lathicharge without any warning at 11.30pm.
There were around 20 passengers in the vehicle. They had stopped the vehicle to drop a woman, who resided in Malyalappuzha, at Aban Junction. They were awaiting the arrival of her husband when five passengers, including Sithara, exited the vehicle. Soon, a police vehicle arrived at the spot and they assaulted the family. The police team arrived after it received information that a clash had taken place near a bar at the junction. Jinu arrived after the police station apprised him of the situation.
When they came, they saw a woman and four men taking a selfie in front of the bar. They told the police that they had seen two men, wearing helmets, running away. It is suspected that police mistook them as members of the group that created ruckus at the bar and beat them. The people who were beaten are natives of Punchavayal village in Mundakayam.
Sithara (31) fractured her shoulder when she fell down while trying to run away while police assaulted three people, including her husband Sreejith, who sustained head injuries. Police beat up a youth named Sijin. Sreejith said that he was attacked when he tried to save his wife. The injured persons sought treatment at the general hospital late at night.
CCTV visuals of the assault, which surfaced on Wednesday morning, showed the policemen unleashing terror without provocation. On Wednesday, DIG S Ajeetha Begum suspended Jinu and two policemen over the incident. Pathanamthitta deputy SP S Nandakumar will probe the case as the victims are people from the Scheduled Caste. Police also registered a case against 10 persons based on the bar owner's complaint.
Family members gave a statement that the police did not utter a word when they asked why they were beaten up. Though police recorded their statement early on Wednesday morning, the FIR did not name the complainants and the accused. But police filed a case based on their statements.
The suspension order said that police resorted to lathicharge without enquiring what happened at the site and their act brought dishonour to the force. The order said their act amounted to indiscipline and official misconduct. Earlier in the day, Jinu was transferred based on the report of the district police chief.
Last week, a Plus Two student in Pathanamthitta had beaten up Jinu when he questioned the student who was wandering inside the bus stand. Jinu, who was injured and undergoing treatment, had just rejoined duty this week.