KOCHI: A middle-aged man from Ponnurunni on Saturday alleged that he was booked in a fresh retaliatory case after he questioned political interference in a Pocso case based on his complaint.
The complainant claimed that politicians forced him to withdraw the complaint which included Pocso charges. Tension escalated after Congress workers marched to the Kadavanthra police station, accusing local CPM leaders of meddling in the case.
The case involves a middle-aged man against whom a case was registered after he apprehended and handed over to the police a 17-year-old boy accused of disturbing and attempting to harass his daughter in the city.
“The allegations being raised now are politically motivated, centred around the upcoming local body elections, and hold no truth,” said a top source with Kochi city police. He added that both cases — the Pocso case against the youth and the grievous-hurt case against the complainant — are under detailed investigation, and that the chargesheet in the Pocso case is nearly ready for submission.
An officer from the Kadavanthra police station said that both the boy and the complainant are distant relatives. The incident occurred on October 25, near Bhuvaneswari Road in Ponnurunni, where the youth allegedly disturbed and attempted to harass complainant’s nine-year-old daughter.
After learning about the incident, the complainant allegedly assaulted the boy, causing injuries. Based on the complainant’s statement, a Pocso case was registered against the boy. However, on October 28, the boy approached the police with a complaint that he was brutally assaulted by the complainant.
“Acting on both complaints, we registered FIRs and initiated investigation. There is no interference of any kind in the probe, and the investigation is in progress,” said the officer.
Meanwhile, Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Saturday granted anticipatory bail to the complainant in the assault case.