K Shabas Haris
Adhil, a young man from Cheruvannoor, Kozhikode, was allegedly assaulted by police officers in a case of mistaken identity. The incident occurred last Friday, May 2nd, while Adhil was at an online center in Meppayur to open a bank account.
According to Adhil, four plainclothes police officers, who reportedly came from Kalamassery, Ernakulam, forcibly took him to the nearby Meppayur police station. There, in front of the Meppayur Sub-Inspector (SI) and other local police personnel, the officers allegedly began to beat him.
Adhil stated that the officers questioned him about a money cheating case and inquired about an individual named Sourav, whom Adhil claims he does not know. Eventually, after checking Adhil’s call list, the police reportedly realized their error and acknowledged his innocence.
“I was at the online center for taking a bank account. At that time, four persons who looked like goons forcefully took me. At first, I resisted, but they took me to the police station. From there, they started to beat me and asked me about a Sourav who I don’t know. At last, they checked my call list and found me as innocent. Then they said they would help me to take a bank account, and when I was going to be released, they threatened me not to say anything to anybody,” Adhil recounted.
He sustained injuries to his ears due to the alleged beating.
Adhil’s family has filed complaints with the Superintendent of Police (SP), the Director General of Police (DGP), and other relevant authorities. However, they claim to have received no response so far.
The incident has sparked outrage among political organizations. The Welfare Party of India, the Indian Union Muslim League, and the Youth Congress have staged protests against the alleged police brutality. The Fraternity Movement has also condemned the incident, demanding strong action from the state government against the police officers involved.
