Kerala: Dalits claim police atrocity against them, state SC/ST commission calls for report

Kayamkulam/Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State SC/ST Commission on Sunday called for a report from the police regarding allegations that its officer illegally entered homes in a Dalit colony in Haripad area of Alappuzha district of the state and also made casteist remarks against some residents there.

The chairman of the commission, B S Mavoji, while speaking to PTI termed the police action as “high-handed” and said a report has been called from the Alappuzha SP regarding the incident. “I feel it was a high-handed approach of the police,” he said.

He further said the commission on its own took up the issue based on news reports regarding the incident. Mavoji also said residents of the colony called up the commission claiming that police carried out an illegal raid and made casteist remarks against people there.

The incident had occurred on the intervening night of 4-5 June post midnight. According to the police, officers on routine patrol in the colony had noticed two persons standing beside a motorbike outside one of the homes and had questioned them as to why they were there late in the night. While they were being questioned, other residents of the colony also came out and objected to the police questioning the duo, said an officer of Kareelakulangara police station, within whose jurisdiction the area falls.

The officer said with more people turning up, the situation escalated and the locals blocked the police jeep, removed its key and also assaulted the police officers. Subsequently, more police personnel under the leadership of Kayamkulam Deputy SP had to be called in to rescue the officers and arrest three persons who had actively obstructed the officers from doing their duty, the officer said.

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He also denied the allegations of local residents, especially some women, that police entered their homes by force, assaulted the women and called them by derogatory names. The officer said it was the patrolling officers who were abused and assaulted by some of the residents in the colony.

He said a case under Sections 146 (rioting), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code has been lodged and three persons have been arrested. He also said based on further investigation, police will decide on whether to make more arrests.

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