THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The City police commissioner has cancelled the transfer of three police officers from Pettah police station following pressure from local CPM activists in the city in connection with imposing a fine on a DYFI leader for not wearing a helmet during a police inspection.
Commissioner C H Nagaraju has retained the policemen, including two sub-inspectors, at the Pettah police station itself. His action followed a report after a departmental inquiry. However, the police did not take action against the CPM activists who had protested at the station to release DYFI block secretary Nitheesh.
“In the inquiry, we came to know that the policemen had done their duties. We also collected CCTV footage and recorded statements from witnesses. We arrived at the conclusion that there was no lapse on the part of the police. Hence, they were retained at Pettah police station itself,” Nagaraju told TNIE.
Earlier, a departmental injury was announced, and the city police had transferred two sub-inspectors and a driver attached to Pettah police, allegedly under pressure from the CPM leadership. SIs S Azeem and M Abhilash were transferred to the district crime branch, while police driver M Midhun was shifted to the A R Camp after the CPM leadership held talks with senior police officers.
The SIs had slapped a fine on Nitheesh at Oruvathil Kotta on Tuesday for not wearing a helmet, setting off a series of events that finally culminated in action being taken against the cops. Nitheesh was told to pay the fine, to which he reportedly objected. He told the officers that he was a DYFI leader, but the cops insisted that he pay the fine.
Later, a group of DYFI and CPM workers trespassed into the police station, alleging that the cops had misbehaved with Nitheesh during the vehicle check and assaulted him while taking him into the police jeep. A case has been taken against 20 agitators, who could be identified, under bailable sections.
Though known leaders were part of the offence, none of them were named in the FIR, much to the chagrin of the cops. The department-level inquiry was ordered based on the complaint of DYFI leader Nitheesh that he was assaulted by the SIs.