THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have come under criticism for their handling of foreign citizens after a Swedish citizen was forced to empty two bottles of liquor that he had purchased from the Bevco outlet near Kovalam on Friday.
Stephen Asberj, who has been running a homestay at Vattappara near Vellar for the last four years, had to face the police highhandedness around noon when he was heading to Kovalam beach. The police team that was carrying out the vehicle check near Kovalam junction spotted three bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) that Stephen, who was on a two-wheeler, was carrying for his friend staying at Kovalam.
Stephen said the police directed him to throw away the liquor bottles as he was not carrying a bill for it. Though Stephen told them that he had purchased the liquor from a Bevco outlet at Vellar and sought permission to return to the outlet to fetch the bill, the police did not allow him to do so.
“They did not allow me to go back and bring the bill. I was told to throw the bottles to a nearby quarry. But I did not do that fearing that if someone was present near the quarry, it could hit them. I also did not want to litter the quarry with plastic bottles. I thought if I paid heed to their demand, they might slap me with a case for littering the place. So, I poured the liquor in an empty plot nearby and took the bottles with me,” he said.
After local residents objected to the police action pointing out that it could affect the tourism prospects, Stephen was allowed to return and bring the bill. After he retrieved the bill and showed it to the sleuths, Stephen was allowed to go with the remaining bottle of rum. Stephen said the police action appeared “odd and such acts would affect the tourism sector badly”.
The Swede said he was not thinking overly about the incident. “I just consider myself a bit unlucky. That’s all,” he said. “Too many restrictions will turn away tourists, especially foreigners,” he cautioned.
‘Allegation baseless’
City Police Commissioner Balram Kumar Upadhyay brushed aside the allegation as baseless. He said the police had put up a check point near Kovalam junction and, on inspection, found three bottles of IMFL from the Swede. When the police asked him to produce the bill, he poured the liquor out. “The cops did not misbehave with him. They were only doing their duty,” the commissioner said.