Man accuses cops of breaking his tooth for questioning vehicle check
A man from Kerala has accused Kerala police personnel of punching him in the face and breaking his tooth. According to the man, the cop had stopped him for vehicle check at Cherthala in Alappuzha district recently. A video of the incident was also shown by the man, in which the policemen can be seen forcibly trying to get Ramesh Kammath into their jeep. The video has also gone viral on social media.
The visuals were aired by local television channels on Thursday.
In the video, Kammath, a man in his 40s, is seen telling the local people who gathered around him that he was beaten up by the police personnel. However, the police rejected the allegations saying his tooth was "artificial".
A government employee, Kammath said the incident happened on Saturday evening while he was on his way back home from the office.
He said he had only asked the police whether the vehicle inspection, parking the official jeep at a curve that too in a dark area, was against the rules.
State DGP Loknath Behera had issued a detailed circular giving strict instructions for vehicle inspection earlier this month, according to which officers should not stand at curves or busy junctions for inspection.
"As soon as I asked whether it was against the circular of DGP, they got infuriated and began to assault me. A constable beat me on my head, private parts, left eye and face, breaking my tooth. They also tried to drag me into their vehicle when people began to gather around," Kammath told television channels.
He alleged the police personnel had threatened and beaten him up at the police station also and granted him bail only after giving in writing that he had no complaint and was not beaten up.
Police had also registered a case against him for interrupting their duty.
Kammath, who was earlier reluctant to lodge a formal complaint about the incident, had lodged the complaint with the DGP a few days ago after his colleagues asked him to do so. However, the police rejected the allegations and claimed they had not hit him on his tooth.
KM Tomy, Alappuzha Superintendent of Police (SP), told a television channel the vehicle check was conducted in a particular place as it was an accident-prone area.
He said a civil police officer was suspended in connection with the incident for using 'force' to get Kammath into the police vehicle and further investigation was on.
The officer also said they had medical reports saying the man was not beaten up and his tooth was not lost.
Meanwhile, the Kerala DGP directed the Alappuzha district police chief to conduct a detailed inquiry on the alleged police high-handedness on a two-wheeler rider at Cherthala and initiate disciplinary action against those officials found guilty, an official statement said on Thursday.
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