ALAPPUZHA: The State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST Commission) has registered a suo motu case and sought a report from the district police chief on the alleged police atrocity towards the residents of a colony near Haripad and making casteist remarks on them.
SC/ST Commission chairman B S Mavoji said that it had sought a report from the Alappuzha district police chief on the incident.
According to local people, the issue began after a police night patrol team questioned two persons who were standing beside a motorcycle outside a house after midnight at Champakadam Dalit colony. “It ended in a heated argument between the youths and police. Soon several local residents joined the ruckus. The local people blocked the police for more than an hour and later more personnel arrived and freed the police team,” local people said.
The police removed the key of the bike which was questioned by the residents and it resulted in further altercation between the mob. However, the residents said that the police unleashed violence against women and made casteist remarks on the residents. They also said that police personnel entered their homes and attacked women and the elderly.
According to Kareelakulangara police, its personnel on routine patrol in the colony were attacked by residents. “Local residents objected to the questioning of youths and blocked the police vehicle and removed its key. They also assaulted the officials on duty. The stranded police personnel were rescued and the standoff ended after more force reached there more than an hour after the ruckus began,” an officer said.
The Kareelakulangara police arrested three persons in connection with the incident. The arrested were identified as Vishwa Prasad, Sarath Babu and Ajith Babu. They were booked under Sections 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 146 (rioting) of the Indian Penal Code.