Para-athlete booked for assaulting cop
KOCHI: Ernakulam rural police booked a case against para-athlete and world arm-wrestling champion Joby Mathew for allegedly assaulting a police officer and forcibly taking his mobile phone. The case was filed based on a complaint filed by Sarindas, a police officer with the Kalamassery AR Camp.
Joby was booked for various charges including wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, extortion, and causing grievous hurt to a public servant to obstruct them from performing their official duties. The incident occurred around 10am on Tuesday near the mosque along the Malayappally–Kompara Road in Edathala. Police driver Sarindas was transporting a malfunctioning interceptor vehicle to the Kalamassery A R Camp for repairs. A tipper lorry was moving ahead slowly, and combined with the mechanical issues of the police vehicle, it prevented the vehicles behind from overtaking.
The jeep driven by Joby attempted to overtake the police vehicle, resulting in a minor collision. Joby then abruptly stopped his vehicle across the path of the police jeep, leading to an argument. During the altercation, Joby allegedly assaulted the officer and snatched his phone while the officer was attempting to record the incident.
Meanwhile, Joby, a Pala native currently residing at Nalam Mile in Aluva, claimed that police threatened and followed him after he questioned them for parking the police vehicle in a way that obstructed traffic. He further alleged that the police filed a false case against him.