Kollam: Four cops including the Station House Officer (SHO) of Karunagapally police station in Kollam district were placed under suspension on charges of assaulting a senior lawyer attached to Kollam Bar. SHO G Gopakumar, SI Alocious Alexander, Grade SI Philipose and CPO Anoop were suspended the advocates from across the state warned the state administration of “serious repercussions” if action was taken against the accused police officers.
Advocate S Jayakumar, a practicing lawyer in the Kollam District Court was picked up by the Karunagapally police station and manhandled him in the lock up. According to Jayakumar, the incident for which the advocate was booked happened on September 5 evening, just a day before Onam festival “About a few meters on Karunagappally – Shastham Kota road a car suddenly obstructed my car and the passengers in the car got down and started assaulting me for no reasons. Immediately a few policemen reached the spot and took me to the Police station. When I asked what charges I had been booked for, the SHO shouted that he was waiting for a chance to book me and treat me properly.”
According to Jayakumar the accused SHO was nursing a grudge against me for appearing in a criminal case against him.
Jayakumar said that the SHO physically thrashed him with a police baton after locking him up with handcuffs on. “The policemen in uniform assaulted me so brutally till I was unconscious.”
As per Jayakumar the SHO did not reveal for what offence he was booked and those lodged complaints against the advocate were not seen in the police station or have been mentioned anywhere in the report “which means the whole case was fabricated to frame me and finish me physically.”
Jayakumar further said that “the medical examination report, mandatory for any criminal case, was also fabricated. The medical officer of the Karunagapally Thaluk Hospital prepared the as dictated by the police with an intention to fix me. Though I asked for a blood test, it was denied so that they can charge me for drunken- drive also.”
However, Trivandrum Bar Association, known for its belligerence against any assault on its fraternity, jumped into action. “We can’t tolerate any onslaught or injustice to our brother lawyers. The Bar Associations will continue its fight against the high-handedness and brutality of the police.” said Advocate Anayara Shaji, president of Trivandrum Bar Association.”
According to police sources Jayakumar was booked for “drunken-drive and creating a traffic block. But Jayakumar said “the case was registered without any blood test to confirm if I was drunk. So it is clear the police have booked me on a fabricated case with a suspected motive.”
However, with the unrelenting pressure from the lawyers fraternity the state administration was forced to suspend for police personnel involved in the assault case. But Jayakumar says another CPO Sreekumar, who was also involved assaulting him is not suspended yet, for reasons best known to the officials.
