Kerala: Police refuse to book their officers who assaulted mobile shop owner, staff, despite CCTV footage

Kasaragod's Manjeshwar Police register case against seven officers only after court intervene
For representational purposes (Photo | PTI)
For representational purposes (Photo | PTI)

KASARAGOD: On a day when officers of Bekal police are under the scanner for excesses, a court in Kasaragod has directed Manjeshwar police to register a case against seven police officers for assaulting a mobile shop owner, his staff and causing loss worth Rs 80,000.

The alleged police brutality happened at Javed Asif's mobile sales and repair shop at Paivalike in April. Asif had to approach the Kasaragod Judicial First Class Magistrate Court because the police refused to register a case despite providing them with video evidence of the police brutality, said his advocate K K Muhammed Shafi.

"We wanted the police's help just to identify the officers who assaulted, abused, and damaged phones. But the police refused to register a case. If we knew the names of officers we would have directly approached the court because we have the digital evidence of their crime," said the advocate.

On an April evening, seven police officers entered Asif's shop and asked him to shut it. Asif said the government guidelines allowed him to remain open till 8 pm. This angered the officers and they allegedly assaulted Asif and his staff.

In the melee, Asif lost his Apple watch. The displays of two phones kept for repair were also damaged. Asif was admitted to a hospital for three days. The hospital sent a medical-legal intimation to the Manjeshwar police station, yet the police did not file a case, said advocate Shafi.

Asif sent an e-mail to the district police chief, which did not get a response, he said.

Then, he went to the station and filed a complaint, and also met the district police chief in person. "Yet no case was registered. Now Manjeshwar police have registered seven unknown police officers on the direction of the court," Shafi said.

They have been charged with criminal trespass, assault, damaging property, and being abusive.

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