Kerala horror: SHO slaps pregnant woman; CCTV visuals expose police brutality

KOCHI: In another instance of police brutality, CCTV footage from Ernakulam North police station shows a pregnant woman being slapped by the station house officer on June 20, 2024. The footage surfaced on Thursday after the woman and her husband obtained it following a year-and-ahalf-long legal battle.
The woman, N J Shaimol (43), who was three months' pregnant at the time of the assault had visited the police station to question the alleged illegal arrest of her husband. The CCTV visuals, released following a Kerala high court order, show Shaimol entering the station carrying her infant twins.




The footage shows inspector K G Prathapachandran, in plain clothes, slapping her moments after another woman — apparently a police officer also in plain clothes — took the babies from her.

The inspector is now posted as the station house officer of Aroor police station. Police sources said departmental action, including suspension, is likely against Prathapachandran.

Was reacting to woman’s sudden provocation, claims inspector

Shaimol’s husband, Benjo, was arrested after he allegedly recorded visuals of police using force while arresting two youths near the tourist home he manages. Police were reportedly irked by his action and booked him in the case.

“I clearly told the inspector, on seeing my wife entering the station, that she was pregnant. I do not know what to say about someone who would slap her despite being told that,” Benjo said. “My wife later delivered the baby, who is now one year old. We have been fighting to get this footage all this while, and today we finally received a copy.”

Benjo said he still did not know why the police arrested the two youths who worked at a nearby restaurant. “I recorded the video because they were crying out loudly. I was booked for obstructing police and I spent five days in jail,” he said,alleging that he was beaten up in the station, in areas without CCTV coverage. Police had earlier denied Shaimol’s version of events and accused her of obstructing official duty and endangering her children. The CCTV visuals have contradicted thepolice claim. Police had also alleged that Shaimol had shattered the glass front door of the station. She maintained that these were false allegations and a case was foisted on her as well.

On Thursday, inspector Prathapachandran told the media that Benjo was an accused in criminal cases, including one in which he helped accused in another case escape, and Shaimol threatened to kill her children if her husband was not released. He further claimed that she shoved him twice and his action was a reaction to the “sudden provocation.”

Several incidents of police excesses at stations were exposed after the release of station CCTV visuals. In Sept, police suspended four officers who served at Kunnamkulam police station for assaulting Youth Congress local leader V S Sujith in 2023, after he obtained station CCTV visuals under the RTI Act after a long legal battle.

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here

Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Merry Christmas wishes, messages and quotes !