Police beat up Harijan youth on Gandhi Jayanthi day

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, OCT. 13. A 33-year-old handicapped Harijan labourer, Sivaraman of Mallappuzhasserry Kanjiravelil Kannanchirayil, near Aranmula, was allegedly beaten up by the Aranmula Police on Gandhi Jayanthi day.

Sivaraman, accompanied by leaders of the Action Council formed against the police excess on him, alleged that the Sub Inspector of Police at Aranmula, Mr. K. R. Sivasuthan, had brutally assaulted him at Kunnathukara junction, near Aranmula, on the Gandhi Jayanthi day with out any provocation.

The SI who was patrolling in the police vehicle on October 2 had reportedly suspected Sivaraman as a drunkard from the latter's awkward style of walking because of his handicapped right leg.

Mistaking Sivaraman to be drunk on the dry day, the SI had jumped out of his jeep and allegedly kicked him on his back, showering abusive language on him, the action council leaders alleged.

They also alleged that the hapless man who was returning from Thekkemala was brutally beaten up by the SI and the latter had even chased him into a nearby workshop in a violent frenzy, disregarding the local people's plea to spare the invalid.

Sivraman was later admitted to the District Hospital at Kozhencherry for four days with blunt injuries on his back and chests.

In a complaint filed on October 4 with the District Superintendent of Police, Mr. D. Vijayan, the victim's wife, Sarada, has pleaded for action against the erring police official.

The action council president, Mr. Surendran, who is also the local CITU (headload workers) president, has alleged that no effective step had so far been taken by the police authorities to redress the grievances of the Harijan family.

``Moreover, it is learnt that the SP had asked the Dy. SP to look into the Harijan woman's complaint of harassment on her husband and the Dy. SP in turn had directed the Kozhencherry CI to conduct an inquiry into the incident. Surprisingly, the CI had reportedly asked the SI himself to file a report after an inquiry into the alleged harassment of the Harijan worker,'' the action council leaders said.

Sivaraman has also alleged that the SI had even threatened to book him under Abkari Act by `planting illicit liquor' on his residential premises, if he failed to withdraw his charges.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Cong(I) in a fix over party polls
Next     : Pvt. sector to be allowed to run tourism trains:
           Minister