THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of a face-off between CPM workers and the Pettah police after a DYFI worker was fined for not wearing a helmet while riding a two-wheeler, the city police have transferred two sub-inspectors and a driver attached with Pettah police, allegedly under pressure from the CPM leadership. SIs S Azeem and M Abhilash and police driver M Midhun were transferred after the CPM leadership held talks with senior police officers. Azeem and Abhilash were shifted to the district crime branch, while Midhun was moved to the A R Camp.
It was the act of the SIs slapping a fine on DYFI block secretary Nitheesh at Oruvathil Kotta on Tuesday for not wearing a helmet that set off a series of events, which 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. The act of the party workers precipitated tension and the cops dispersed them using force during which Nitheesh allegedly received mild injuries.
Protesting against the police action, the CPM leadership sieged the station on Tuesday night for about three hours. The protest was led by CPM district secretary MLA V Joy.
The protest was finally called off after senior police officers yielded to the demand to take action against the cops.
Apart from the transfer, the force has also announced a departmental inquiry against the cops. Meanwhile, the action of the senior officers has not gone down well within the force. The resentment got intense after a weak case was registered against the CPM and DYFI leaders, who had trespassed into the station and manhandled cops. Case has been taken against as many as 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.
Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner C H Nagaraju said the cops were shifted as part of general rearrangement and it should not be viewed as departmental punishment.
He rejected the allegation that the cops were shifted under pressure. However, not naming the accused in the FIR pertaining to trespassing into the station, according to the commissioner, was inappropriate. “ Usually while dealing with protests, FIRs are registered without naming the accused. In this case, since known faces were there, their names could have been included. We will rectify this error and add their names to the FIR, “ he added.
DEPARTMENT INQUIRY STARTS
The department-level inquiry has commenced on the complaint of DYFI leader Nitheesh that he was assaulted by the SIs. Narcotic Cell ACP S Balakrishnan on Thursday recorded the statements of the complainant and the cops.