Kochi: Two years have passed since Kakkanad native Rineesh K S (31) was allegedly assaulted by a police officer in Ernakulam for ‘simply sitting’ under the city’s North Railway Overbridge. Despite filing complaints to the Chief Minister and the Director General of Police, Rineesh says no action was taken against Inspector Prathap Chandran, then Station House Officer of Ernakulam Town North police station, who assaulted him. 

Rineesh, who now works as a delivery boy for an online food aggregator, said he eventually lost hope after pursuing the complaint for one and a half years. He had filed his case before the district police complaints authority, but stopped following it up after repeated delays. 

The incident pertaining to the complaint took place on April 1, 2023, near the Ernakulam North railway overbridge. At the time, Rineesh was working as a field agent of a private manpower supply firm in Kochi. He had paused there to rest when Chandran, accompanied by two policemen, questioned him and asked him to move. 
“They said nobody was permitted to sit there. I replied that I didn’t know that and was just taking respite from the scorching sun. The CI asked what I had in my pocket. I said it was my headset. When I was taking it out, he hit my leg with his cane, which broke in two. When I asked why I was beaten, he slapped me several times on the cheek. I was in pain and again asked the reason. He said he would tell me and then took me to the police station,” Rineesh recalled. 

At the Ernakulam North police station, Rineesh was kept for around four hours. As the pain in his head worsened, he began vomiting, after which he was taken to Ernakulam General Hospital. “I told the doctor what happened, and she said I should undergo treatment if the pain continued. Later, the police let me go without registering a case,” he said. 

That night, Rineesh’s condition worsened. “I couldn’t eat anything because of the pain. My leg swelled, and I was forced to tell my mother what happened. Finally, I was admitted to a government hospital in Kakkanad for four days. I was visited by MLA Uma Thomas and other leaders,” he said. 

Following the incident, MLA Uma Thomas lodged a complaint with the Kochi City Police Commissioner demanding action against the officer. Rineesh also submitted petitions to the Chief Minister and the DGP. The district police complaints authority convened multiple hearings in the case. 

“First, the Ernakulam ACP took my statements. For the first sitting with the district police complaints authority, CI Prathap Chandran appeared, but he did not turn up later. The hearing was postponed six times, and every time my mother and I attended. Finally, my mother said she was tired of this. We skipped the next hearing, and from then on, there was no intimation,” Rineesh said. 
He added that despite the complaints, no departmental or legal action has been initiated against Inspector Chandran over the past two years. “I was beaten in broad daylight for no reason. Many people face such incidents but don’t react out of fear. Policemen are supposed to protect us, but some of them hurt us without reason. That’s why I complained. Unfortunately, no action has been taken yet,” Rineesh said. 

Meanwhile, Inspector Prathap Chandran, who is currently SHO at Aroor police station, denied the allegations and said Rineesh was taken into preventive custody under Section 151 of the CrPC, as the location was known for “anti-social activity” and suicide attempts by jumping in front of a train. “Policemen in mufti asked Rineesh to move from there as the area was unsafe. When he refused and questioned the officers, I intervened and took him into preventive custody. Following his complaint and protests, a departmental inquiry was completed, and the report found there was no merit,” Chandran said.