Policeman who attacked speeding motorist placed under suspension

TNN | Nov 26, 2017, 00:42 IST

Kanyakumari: A special sub-inspector (SSI) of police has been placed under suspension with effect from Friday night after a CCTV footage of the policeman attacking a biker at Kallupalam near Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district, went viral on social media and gained nation-wide attention.

The footage that has been widely criticised shows two youth riding a bike and the policeman, Maria Ackrose, getting ready to hit the rider, with his lathi. The policeman then hit the rider Rajesh, 24, on his head as he rode between him and two other policemen who were standing close by. The incident left the public fuming.

Passersby picked up an argument with the police personnel there and also partially manhandled him which has been recorded in another video by the public. Police sources said the aggravated action by the SSI was an outcome of an incident involving the same youth about 30 minutes before the assault on the biker.

"It is not because they did not wear a helmet, as claimed in social media. The duo riding the bike without helmet did not stop when the police team tried to stop them. One of them provoked the policeman with a finger gesture and the police waited there for them to return," said an officer.

In a fit of rage the SSI lost his cool and attacked Rajesh on his head with a lathi. "But this cannot be a reason for a policeman to handle the public in such a manner. So he has been placed under suspension," said superintendent of police (SP) of Kanyakumari district, M Durai. He added that preliminary departmental inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

The SP said that assistant superintendent of police of Colachel sub-division, E Sai Charan Tejaswi, has will be inquiring the victim, his pillion rider, the policeman involved in the incident and the public and submit a report on the same to the SP in a week. No case was registered against the policeman or the rider (for provocation) till Saturday evening.

However, locals alleged this is the only incident that came to light and that there have been at least two other incidents of police attacking or abruptly stopping two-wheeler riders with their lathi in different parts of the district, leaving the riders and other road users injured. One such incident took place at Kulasekaram and another at Attur.