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Assault on women: rights panel seeks report from DIG

MALAPPURAM: The State Human Rights Commission has registered a suo motu case following a ghastly incident in which two women, one of them pregnant, were beaten up by a mob at Edappal on Sunday afternoon.

Commission member S. Varghese has sought an explanation from Director-General of Police Raman Srivastava and has directed District Superintendent of Police P. Vijayan to appear before the Commission at its sitting to be held at PWD Rest House, Tirur, on October 25.

Mr. Varghese said the incident, as portrayed in the media, was shocking to have happened in a State like Kerala. “We cannot afford to brook such callous law and order,” he said. A group of youngsters had beaten up two Tamil women, Jyoti, 40, and Kavita, 18, on suspicion of stealing a gold ornament from one of the customers at a textile shop in Edappal. They were kicked and beaten for a long time despite their pleas that they had not stolen anything.

The police on Monday arrested five youngsters in connection with the incident. They were identified as Eliyapra Sanal, 22, from Sukapuram; Pulikkunnathethil Jabir, 22, from Changaramkulam; Kottilil Rafi, 25, from Kavilpadi; Shameem, 22, from Athanikkal; and Pothalapparambil Thajuddeen, 25, from Anakkara.

The police said five more people were to be arrested. The police identified the assaulters from the video footage of the incident. The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Tirur, has remanded them in judicial custody till October 19.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police (Thrissur Range) P. Vijayanand suspended two assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) for lapse in their duty. Special Branch ASI Sankunni was suspended for failing to inform the police authorities about the incident in time. Changaramkulam ASI Velayudhan was suspended for his failure to record the statement of the victims. Mr. Vijayanand said both ASIs had committed serious lapses in their duty.

It was Mr. Velayudhan who took the women to a hospital after the incident. After receiving initial medical aid, the women were let off without registering their statement.

The attempts by the police to locate the women after they were let off failed. Despite a massive search on Monday, the police could not locate the Tamil women.

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