Probe ordered into FIR after pedestrian hit by car carrying senior cop

The Pathanamthitta district Crime Branch has launched an inquiry into an incident where the Thiruvalla police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a pedestrian who was hit by a car carrying a senior police officer.

The incident occurred around 10.50 p.m. on August 20 when the car in which Additional Inspector General (AIG) of police V.G. Vinod Kumar was travelling struck a Nepalese national employed at a local restaurant. The victim, who sustained grievous injuries, was rushed to a private hospital in Thiruvalla.

According to the FIR, the pedestrian suddenly jumped across the road, at which point the vehicle hit him, causing injuries to his head, face, and shoulder. The report also noted damage to the left side of the car’s bonnet, body panel, headlight area, and wheel arch.

After admitting the injured person to the hospital, the vehicle’s driver reported the incident to the Thiruvalla police station and the police opened an FIR allegedly based on his statement alone.

With the case drawing allegations of misuse of authority, the Pathanamthitta district police have directed the district Crime Branch to conduct a detailed probe.

The episode, meanwhile, has attracted wider attention because the AIG, who earlier served as the Pathanamthitta District Police Chief, had been linked to several controversies in the past. These include allegations of attempting to sabotage certain child sex abuse cases and the much-debated tractor ride by Additional Director General of Police M.R. Ajith Kumar to Sabarimala, among others