KOCHI: An inebriated civil police officer was arrested on Wednesday for molesting women at Areekal Waterfalls near Piravom. The arrested is Pareeth, a civil police official attached to Muvattupuzha police station. The incident took place when a group of six women and five men reached Areekal Waterfalls around 5.30 PM on Tuesday.
The victim, who recently got engaged, was with her friends near the waterfalls. Pareeth and his colleague Baiju, who were supposed to be on duty at Muvattupuzha police station, reached the place in plain clothes. According to police officials, both were drunk. However, it was Pareeth who misbehaved with the women.
“As per the complaint, Pareeth misbehaved with the women by inappropriately touching them. The victim and her friends questioned his act. Soon local people contacted the Ramamangalam police station from where a police team arrived and took Pareeth and Baiju to the station,” a police officer said.
Puthencruz DySP T B Vijayan said that he reached Ramamangalam police station after being informed about the incident around 7 PM. “Both police officials were subjected to medical tests and it was found that they were drunk,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ernakulam rural police chief Vivek Kumar initiated disciplinary action against both Pareeth and Baiju. Both were suspended from service.