THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The experience Jayachandran G and his eight-year-old girl had to go through after an officer with the Pink police falsely accused them of theft was harrowing. The rubber-tapping labourer fought successfully for justice at the High Court.
The girl, Devipriya, shudders at the sight of a police officer even after undergoing counselling, yet the father is ready to take things in his stride. And he has decided to donate a portion of `1.5 lakh he got as compensation from the state government to the chief minister’s distress relief fund and towards education of tribal students. “It’s the taxpayers’ money. So it should not be used just for my daughter or myself. Hence I thought of donating a portion of it,” said Jayachandran.
Jayachandran and Devipriya suffered humiliation in public view at Moonnumukku near Attingal last August after an officer accused them of stealing her phone from the police vehicle. They had gone to to see a giant ISRO machinery being transported on a truck. A video shot by an onlooker captured the harassment meted out to the two. The phone was found in the police vehicle later.
“We fought the legal battle to ensure that none ever suffers such an ordeal in future. Nobody should be discriminated based on colour or clothes. As a family, we are putting the ordeal behind us and looking forward,” said Jayachandran.