KOCHI: In an unprecedented display of disciplinary action, police officers, including women, who arrived late to a monthly crime conference attended by senior officers at the rural police headquarters, were handed an unusual punishment: to run 10km and submit digital evidence of their run, including screenshots, to the district police chief.
One officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told TNIE: “I was 30 minutes late due to exhaustion from the previous night’s duty, compounded by a traffic block that further delayed my journey.” Despite the challenging circumstances, the officer was still required to complete the punitive run and provide proof.
“The district police chief instructed us to run 10 km and submit electronic evidence, including a recorded video and screenshots. The evidence was to be shared via a specific mobile application. But I was unfamiliar with the app. So I submitted the screenshot of the 10-km run instead,” the officer said. He, however, said that he had not filed any complaints, and that he had no personal grievance about the punishment.
A source within the Ernakulam Rural police revealed that officers were subjected to an inhumane punishment for being just 10 minutes late to a conference. “This form of punishment isn’t even stipulated in the Kerala Police Department Internal Punishment Rules (KPDIP Rules),” said the officer, who wished to remain anonymous. “Yet, such harsh disciplinary actions continue within a force known for its discipline.”
The officer added a striking irony: “The same district police chief who imposed these extraordinary punishments has herself been known for poor punctuality during VIP duties and previous conferences.” Insiders claim that the State Intelligence Unit has taken note of the incident and is seeking evidence from the officers involved.
Responding to the allegations, Ernakulam Range DIG Satheesh Bino stated that the directive cannot be considered a form of punishment, nor did the officer have any such intention. “I came to know about the issue by Saturday noon and sought clarification from the SP regarding the incident. She explained that it was not intended as a punishment but rather as a ‘suggestion’ to encourage physical fitness among the personnel,” he said.
He further added that the district police headquarters had distributed volleyballs to various stations and have been encouraging personnel to engage in physical activities during weekends. TNIE’s attempts to contact the Ernakulam district police for a response were unsuccessful.