2 cops suspended for lapses in handling tourist harassment case in Munnar

Idukki: Two police officers from the Munnar police station — Grade SI George Kurian and ASI Saju Paulose — have been suspended following allegations that they failed to act appropriately in a harassment case involving a woman tourist.

The suspension was ordered by District Police Chief K M Sabu Mathew after an inquiry found lapses in their handling of the incident. Reports from the Special Branch and Intelligence Wing confirmed dereliction of duty, prompting the action. The officers have been placed under suspension pending further investigation.

The incident came to light after Janvi, a Mumbai-based assistant professor, posted a video detailing her ordeal during a visit to Munnar on October 30. In the three-minute clip, she alleged that a group of local taxi drivers blocked her app-based cab near the KSRTC bus stand, claiming that such services were banned in the area following a court order. When she sought help from the police, they allegedly sided with the local drivers and told her to use a local taxi instead.

Feeling unsafe, Janvi ended her trip and returned to Mumbai, calling the experience “deeply traumatic” and vowing never to visit Kerala again. Her video quickly went viral, leading the police to register a suo motu case on November 2 under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against unidentified taxi drivers.