Thiruvananthapuram: A disturbing CCTV video has surfaced showing a Youth Congress worker being severely beaten inside Kerala's Kunnamkulam police station, leading to a political firestorm in the state. While the opposition has been quick to condemn the incident, the government has been largely silent, drawing further criticism.
Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor took to social media to express his outrage over the incident.
In a tweet that has been widely shared, he condemned the "brazen police brutality" and questioned the state of law and order in Kerala.
"Appalled by the horrific CCTV footage of custodial torture in Kunnamkulam. The brutal assault on V.S. Sujith, a Youth Congress worker, is a chilling reminder that our police stations are becoming torture chambers," Mr Tharoor wrote.
"This is not just an isolated incident but a symptom of a deeper malaise in the system. The government, led by a Chief Minister who holds the Home portfolio, must be held accountable. The police officers responsible must not just face departmental action but be dismissed from service and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is a grave violation of human rights and a blot on Kerala's conscience," he said.
While the state government has not yet issued a formal statement on the matter, the Thrissur Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) S Harishankar confirmed that a departmental inquiry had already been conducted two years ago and that action had been taken against the accused officers.
He stated that the increments of the three officers found guilty were stopped for two years, and there was no possibility of reopening the departmental inquiry.
The DIG's response has been met with disdain from the opposition, who view it as an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the crime and protect the accused.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, along with other Congress leaders, has accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also holds the Home portfolio, of protecting "criminals in uniform."
They have pointed to the fact that the accused officers are still in service and that the punishment meted out was a mere "slap on the wrist."
Mr Satheesan also highlighted a significant institutional failure, noting that the State Security Commission, a statutory body mandated to oversee police accountability, has not met for over a decade. This, he argued, has created a culture of impunity where police excesses go unchecked.
The incident has reignited the debate on police reforms and accountability in the state, with the opposition threatening to intensify protests if the government does not take swift and decisive action against the erring police personnel.
The case is now before the judicial first-class magistrate court in Kunnamkulam, which has registered a criminal case against the four accused officers.
