Kerala cops throw baton at bike during helmet hunt, rider grievously injured

Kerala cops throw baton at bike during helmet hunt, rider grievously injured
The bike and car involved in the accident

Kollam: A 22-year-old bike rider suffered serious injuries after a cop threw a baton at him for not stopping for vehicle inspection at Kadakkal in Kerala's Kollam district.

The youth, Siddique, then lost control of his bike, which rammed a vehicle of Sabarimala pilgrims.

Siddique, who suffered grievous injuries to his head, has been taken to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. He is a native of Chithara region in the district.

Civil police officer Chandramohan, who threw the baton, has been suspended. Two other police officers in the team have also been transferred.

Abandoned at hospital?

Siddique's father has alleged that the cops had abandoned the grievously injured youth at the Kadakkal taluk hospital.

Hospital authorities informed his kin after they found that the injuries were of grievous nature. The relatives, who rushed to the taluk hospital, took the youth to the medical college hospital in the Kerala capital.

Road blockade

Protesting the police action, people blocked the Parippally-Madathara Road. After the senior police officers gave an assurance to the people that the issue would be resolved by the SP at the Kadakkal police station, the road blockade was called off. However, traffic is yet to be restored in the area and hundreds of vehicles have been stranded. It would take at least an hour for the traffic to be restored.

Incidentally, the police action comes soon after the High Court instructed that those not wearing helmets should not be chased down. The court had called for the use of modern and scientific methods to find traffic violations. It had also said that the helmet checking should not be held in the middle of the road. The HC had also instructed to strictly follow the DGP's circular on this.

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