SPCA slams police officer for 'rash' behaviour

Kochi: Having failed to produce his subordinate officer for the hearing of a case, the State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) on Thursday strongly criticized Ernakulam range IG Mahipal Yadav.
SPCA chairman Justice K Narayana Kurup also blamed Yadav for irresponsible behaviour as the top cop failed to reply to an official communication served earlier. The IG was directed to produce the subordinate officer from Alappuzha for the hearing held on Thursday.
"Apart from failing to produce the officer, the IG did not even show the courtesy to reply to the official communication sent by SPCA. The authority has decided to bring the irresponsible behaviour to the attention of state police chief,"said SPCA chairman.
He said that the IG was served a letter asking him to produce an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), who is accused of beating and robbing of a fish vendor on November 27 in Alappuzha last year. The incident took place at Perunna on the Alappuzha-Changanassery stretch when a fish vendor named Haneef (44) was allegedly beaten up by the ASI attached to Changanassery police station during patrol duty.
As per the complaint filed by Haneef, the ASI in uniform beat him when he asked payment for a two-and-a-half kg fish which was bought by another cop in plain clothes on behalf of the officer.
While the ASI allegedly slapped Haneef on face and pulled him holding on neck, the cop in civil dress showered verbal abuse. As the officer was absent in the last setting of the case, SPCA had directed the IG to identify the officer who was on patrol duty and produce him on Thursday. The next hearing of the case is on April 7.