CCTV footage of Youth Congress leader’s custodial assault in Thrissur surfaces

Thrissur: CCTV visuals have emerged showing Youth Congress Chovannur mandalam president Sujith V S being brutally assaulted inside the interrogation room of Kunnamkulam police station on April 6 2023. The CCTV footage was released following an RTI application filed by Sujith.

According to the case registered in the Kunnamkulam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court, Sujith suffered hearing loss following custodial violence by Sub-Inspector Nuhman and CPOs Sashindran, Sandeep, and Sajeevan.

The issue began when Sujith questioned police officers allegedly threatening his friends standing by the roadside at Chovannur. Angered by this, SI Nuhman brought him to the station in a police jeep, where he was allegedly assaulted in custody. “Just before reaching the station, the police jeep was stopped on the road. Sajeevan, one of the officers, opened the back door and assaulted me. Once inside the station, the officers together subjected me to brutal thrashing,” Sujith said. 

Police later filed a false FIR, accusing him of public nuisance and obstructing duty under the influence of alcohol. However, a medical report confirmed he had not consumed alcohol, and the Chavakkad Magistrate Court subsequently granted him bail.

Sujith filed a complaint with senior police officials and the Human Rights Commission. A departmental inquiry retrieved CCTV evidence of five policemen beating him inside the station.

Judicial Magistrate L Jayanth ordered a case to be registered against the officers. Advocate CB Rajeev, who is also the Kunnamkulam Block Congress president, appeared for Sujith in court. Since the accused are policemen, further proceedings will be under the direct supervision of the court.