KOCHI: A sub-inspector attached to Kothamangalam police has been placed under suspension allegedly for beating up a student who arrived at the station for enquiring about another student who was taken into custody on Saturday. Ernakulam Rural SP Vivek Kumar suspended SI Mahin Saleem following the complaint lodged by the student, a local SFI leader. Roshan, a local functionary of SFI Kothamangalam unit, who came to the Kothamangalam police station in search of another student, was beaten up by the police.
The visuals of the SI beating up the student surfaced on social media platforms by morning itself. The incident happened around 2 am on Saturday. Following the incident, the SFI came out demanding action against the SI.
The issue started after the police took into custody one of the students who had gathered in front of a hotel on the Kothamangalam Thangalam bypass after having food.SFI district leaders and others reached the police station in search of him after he was picked up by the police. During this time, Roshan was taken inside the station and beaten up by SI Mahin Salim. When the students said they belonged to SFI, the SI hit on Roshan’s head saying ‘oh, you all are SFI men.’ Roshan filed a complaint against the SI at the same police station alleging manhandling by the officer.
However, the police said that the area where the students had gathered was notorious for drug sales and one of them was taken into custody due to suspicion. A case has been registered against the students for creating ruckus at the station.