THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While going to Moonnumukku near Attingal on her dad’s two-wheeler, she was enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing the giant ISRO machinery being transported on a truck. But what awaited the eight-year-old and her father Jayachandran — a rubber-tapping labourer — was sheer embarrassment, with a civil police officer falsely accusing them of stealing her mobile phone from a waiting patrol vehicle and humiliating them in public.
As one of the passers-by intervened and dialled the number of Rajitha, the officer with the Pink patrolling team, the phone rang from a bag kept in the police vehicle. To the father-daughter duo’s dismay, the officer left the scene without even tendering an apology.
As the video of the entire incident, shot by one of the onlookers, went viral, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) registered a suo motu case. The Attingal police also came to their house and recorded a statement. It remains to be seen what punishment the higher-ups would mete out to the officer, but it could prove inadequate to alleviate the trauma of the girl.
“My daughter is yet to recover from the trauma she had suffered. She is a little child. Both my daughter and I had to face harassment and humiliation for nearly an hour. Luckily, the phone rang up when a person called. If it was on silent mode or switched off, then the police might have taken us into custody,” said Jayachandran. The two came to the spot on a two-wheeler and parked it near the police patrolling vehicle. At that time, Rajitha and her associate were busy controlling traffic on the national highway.
Harassment evident from visuals: Child rights panel
“When the officers returned to the vehicle, the officer found her mobile phone missing from the car. Since one of the front window glasses was open, she looked around and spotted me and daughter standing nearby,” said Jayachandran. “Without searching for the phone inside the car, she rushed to the spot where we were standing and asked us to give back her mobile phone,” he said.
When Jayachandran said he hadn’t stolen her phone, Rajitha said his daughter might have taken it. It led to a heated argument and people started to gather around them. KSCPCR Chairman K V Manoj Kumar visited Jayachandran’s house and took his statement. The commission has sought a detailed police report on the incident and also took a copy of the statement collected by the police.
According to Manoj, harassment by the police officer was evident in the visuals and hence, the commission registered a case. “The child is yet to recover from the shock. So, we have decided to give her counselling. Further action will be recommended based on the police report,” Manoj said.
Meanwhile, the Attingal police said they cannot register a case until they receive a complaint. “We have recorded the statement of Jayachandran. But he did not file any complaint. However, a high-level probe is on,” said Attingal sub-inspector CR Rahul. Rural SP PK Madhu said a probe is going on and further action will be taken based on it.