Kochi: A 25-year-old youth, who was arrested for allegedly creating a ruckus in public, bit and seriously injured a civil police officer while being taken for a medical examination at Ernakulam General Hospital late Monday night. The accused, allegedly intoxicated, turned violent during the examination and attacked the officer accompanying him.

According to the police, the accused, Muhammed Iqbal, a native of Sasthamkotta, Kollam, was taken into custody by the Ernakulam Town North Police around 11.10 pm on Monday after he was allegedly found creating a disturbance and behaving in a disorderly manner along the pedestrian walkway near the North Railway Overbridge.

A patrol team intercepted Iqbal during routine law and order patrolling. Suspecting that he was heavily intoxicated, the officers took him to the Ernakulam Town North Police Station.

He was booked under Section 118(a) of the Kerala Police Act for causing a breach of public peace and his arrest was formally recorded.

The incident took a violent turn when the police driver, CPO Ajith Paul, accompanied Iqbal to Ernakulam General Hospital for the mandatory medical and chemical examination. During the procedure, the accused allegedly lunged at the police driver and bit his arm.
“The accused suddenly turned violent during the medical examination and bit the officer on his arm, causing serious injuries. The officer was subsequently provided medical treatment,” a police officer said.

Iqbal reportedly continued his aggressive behaviour even after being brought back to the police station. He allegedly hurled abuses at the personnel and challenged them to register cases against him.

Mobile phone footage recorded inside the police station shows Iqbal making a phone call and loudly challenging the officers to record and circulate the video.
"If you have the courage, you say it. Look, I am calling right from inside the police station,” he is heard saying in the video that surfaced.

He then challenges the police over the registration of a case, saying “If you lot don't have the courage to register a case, none of you need to talk. The name of the man telling you this is Muhammed Iqbal! Did you hear that?,” he asks in the video.

The police suspect that Iqbal was under the influence of a potent narcotic substance, which may have contributed to his aggressive and disoriented behaviour. Biological samples have been collected and sent to a chemical examination laboratory to identify the substance he had consumed.

Though Iqbal was initially taken into custody by the Ernakulam Town North Police, the assault on Ajith Paul occurred within the premises of Ernakulam General Hospital, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ernakulam Central Police Station.

The Central Police are proceeding with the registration of a separate criminal case against Iqbal under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly assaulting a public servant and causing hurt while he was discharging official duties.