The Kerala government appeared to have found itself on the defensive on Friday (September 6, 2024) after a woman accused at least three police officers who served in Malappuram in 2022 of sexually exploiting her.?
The woman came on several news channels on Friday, her face blurred, to level grave accusations of abuse and exploitation against the then District Police Chief, Malappuram, Sujith Das; DySP, Thiroor, V.V. Benny; and Circle Inspector, Ponnani, Vinod Valiyattoor.
?She said she had broached the matter with Left Democratic Front (LDF) Independent legislator P.V. Anvar and had found the courage to publicly air her grievance after the MLA complained against Mr. Das to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.?
The fresh set of accusations surfaced on a day when the Congress is taking out a march to the Secretariat demanding Mr. Vijayan’s resignation in the wake of Mr. Anvar’s bombshell accusations of criminality and corruption against the Chief Minister’s political secretary, P. Sasi, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, M.R. Ajith Kumar, and Mr. Das.?
The CPI(M) State Secretariat is also meeting at the AKG Centre amid speculation that the party will likely consider Mr. Anvar’s issues raised against the police and Mr. Sasi.
On Thursday, the government suspended Mr. Das from service pending a detailed enquiry after a preliminary police probe into Mr. Anvar’s accusations disfavoured the officer.?
‘Charges false and malicious’
Mr. Das and Mr. Benny countered the accusations, terming these “false and malicious.”
Mr. Das said he suspected a conspiracy that warranted a criminal investigation. He said he would petition the Chief Minister and State Police Chief (SPC) Sheikh Darvesh Sahib for a CBI probe into the allegations.?
Mr. Das said the woman had approached the Ponnani police station complaining that an autorickshaw driver had harassed her. Subsequently, the police registered an FIR, arrested the suspect and remanded him in judicial custody.?
He said the woman later approached the District Police Chief’s office, accusing the Circle Inspector, Ponnani, of sexually exploiting her.?
Mr. Das said a woman officer handling the reception escorted her into his chamber after registering the petitioner’s name and address in the visitor’s register. He said the woman’s brother and child were present in the room. Based on the woman’s petition, Mr. Das asked Mr. Benny to investigate the matter.?
Mr. Benny said the woman’s petition was “groundless.” After a detailed investigation, he reported to Mr. Das.
He said Mr. Das ordered the DySP, Special Branch, K.M. Biju, to reverify the accusations against the Station House Officer, Ponnani.
Mr. Benny noted that Mr. Biju had confirmed the earlier findings. He alleged that he had faced a flurry of false accusations after the government tasked him with investigating the illegal felling of centuries-old rosewood trees in South Muttil in Wayanad.?
CPI(M) member’s FB post
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan’s son, Jain Raj, a party member, portrayed Mr. Benny in a controversial Facebook post as an officer proficient in “ensnaring” party workers in false cases.?
His accusation dovetailed with Mr. Anvar’s complaint that the police worked overtime to alienate CPI(M) workers and the public from the LDF government.
Published - September 06, 2024 12:42 pm IST
