Kochi: A controversy has erupted in Kochi after a 16-year-old boy's family accused a police Sub-Inspector of assaulting him inside Njarackal police station while questioning his grandmother in connection with a missing gold chain case. The police have strongly denied the allegations, claiming CCTV footage supports their investigation and refutes the family's version of events.

The incident stems from a complaint regarding a missing gold chain reported by a woman near the Nayarambalam bus stop at Kadungassery in Njarackal. According to the boy's father, his 60-year-old mother-in-law was summoned to the police station after some bystanders and autorickshaw drivers told the complainant they had seen her bending down and picking up something from the roadside around the time the chain went missing.

However, the family maintains that the elderly woman had no connection to the missing chain. The boy’s father said his mother-in-law suffers from varicose vein-related mobility issues and had merely bent down to pick up a ₹50 note that had fallen from her hand while she was on her way to a bank.

“The CCTV footage only shows her picking up her own money. Because of her leg condition and body weight, she walks in a particular manner. She even smiled at local autorickshaw drivers who knew her. In fact, when she later heard about the missing chain, it was my mother-in-law who advised the woman to file a police complaint and have the CCTV footage checked,” he told Onmanorama.

According to the complaint filed by the family, the woman was accompanied to the station by her 16-year-old grandson. The boy’s father alleged that during questioning, the elderly woman had difficulty understanding police questions because she suffers from severe hearing-related issues.

“My son told the officer that his grandmother could not hear properly and requested him to speak louder. At that point, SI Arun asked him who had permitted him to speak, slapped him across the face and threw him out of the station,” he claimed.

The father further alleged that the family was subjected to intimidation inside the police station.

“They repeatedly harassed my family. The SI threatened my son, saying he would be implicated in a false case, that his future would be destroyed, he would not be able to get a passport, and he would not be allowed to go abroad. The boy has been deeply traumatised. My mother-in-law was also kept at the station until around 6 pm, even though neither the complainant nor any witnesses were present,” he said.

The family alleged that following the incident, the teenager developed severe ear pain. The boy's father claimed that the Njarackal Government Hospital initially declined to admit the boy.

“The doctors initially told us they do not admit such cases. We then consulted an ENT specialist, who noted trauma to the eardrum caused by the impact of the blow. Only after producing the specialist's report and following intervention by public activists was he admitted to the government hospital,” the man said.

Public activist and Twenty20 constituency vice-president Billy Araykkal also supported the family's claims, alleging that police personnel behaved rudely when local representatives approached the station seeking clarification regarding the incident.

However, the police have rejected the allegations. They described the accusations as “completely false” and said they were being raised to divert attention from the theft investigation.

“The allegation that the SI slapped the boy is entirely untrue. In the gold chain theft case, we have clear evidence. CCTV visuals clearly show the missing chain being taken by the woman,” a senior police officer said.

The boy’s father disputed the police claim, alleging that he had personally viewed the footage shown by the police and that it contained no evidence of any gold chain being taken.

“There was absolutely no proof of any chain being stolen. Even the chain owner later told the police she did not wish to pursue the complaint further and left,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, the family has sought action against the SI and submitted complaints to the Home Minister, District Police Chief, Human Rights Commission, Child Welfare Committee, Station House Officer of Njarackal police station and the Chief Minister's Office.