Caught on camera: Cop slaps pregnant woman inside Kerala police station

Footage showing a Station House Officer (SHO) slapping a pregnant woman inside a police station in Kerala has surfaced, bringing the incident into public view.

The video shows Prathapa Chandran, the Station House Officer of Ernakulam North Police Station, slapping Shymol, a Kochi native, during an argument at the station.

The footage, which is around one-and-a-half years old, came to light after Shymol approached the High Court seeking access to the visuals of the alleged assault. Following a legal battle, the court ordered the footage to be handed over to her.

The incident related to the case took place in June last year. According to the details, Shymol’s husband, Ben Jo, was allegedly taken into custody for filming the forceful detention of two people accused of theft in front of the tourist home run by the couple near the railway station.

He was later made the third accused in the case on charges including obstructing police personnel from discharging their duty.

Shymol had gone to the Ernakulam North Police Station to enquire about her husband when the incident occurred. During the interaction, the SHO reportedly got into a verbal argument with her, pushed her, and later slapped her inside the station.

Reacting to the incident, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan criticised the police action and questioned whether such incidents reflected the much-touted promise of women’s safety in the state.

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