Kerala cops caught on CCTV assaulting Youth Congress worker in 2023, sparks row

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has launched an inquiry into the 2023 assault of Youth Congress mandal president VS Sujith inside the Kunnamkulam police station after CCTV footage of the incident surfaced this week.

The commission directed the Thrissur District Police Chief to submit a detailed report within three weeks. The footage was obtained by Sujith through the Right to Information Act after a prolonged legal battle.

According to Sujith, he was taken into custody on April 5, 2023, after he questioned police officers who allegedly threatened his friends at Chovannur. He alleged that five officers beat him inside the station lock-up.

The opposition has mounted pressure on the government following the release of the video. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan called the incident “a blot on the conscience of Kerala” and accused the Left government of protecting “criminal gangs in khaki.”

“These policemen are a gang of criminals who do not hesitate to turn police stations into killing fields. Such gangs are nurtured by the CPIM and the underworld gangs that control them”, Satheesan said,” Satheesan added.

“The Chief Minister, who is in charge of the Home Department, also has a role in nurturing criminals in the police. Don't you feel ashamed to say that these people work in your department?” he said.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala demanded the dismissal of the officers involved. A protest march was held in front of the Kunnamkulam police station on Wednesday night.

Police said disciplinary action had been taken against the five accused officers in 2023, after a custodial torture complaint was filed. The Judicial First-Class Magistrate of Kunnamkulam has also registered a case, and the trial is ongoing.

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