The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Kochi City Police Commissioner to file a report explaining the action taken against the police officers who had allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh for releasing two daughters of a family from Delhi residing in Kochi from a children’s home.
Justice Devan Ramachandran issued the order when a suo motu case registered on the basis of a newspaper report came up for hearing.
The court also directed the District Legal Services Authority, Ernakulam (DLSA), to depute a competent lady officer to talk to the family, as also to the girls, and ascertain their views particularly whether the latter would like to be with the family or otherwise.
The court said that what it was primarily concerned about was the allegation of a police officer having accepted or demanded amounts from the family, and as to the well-being of the two girls, who were now stated to be in a care home.
The court directed the Police Commissioner to ensure that the family was adequately protected.
The newspaper report said that the family had alleged that the police did not arrest one of the accused, who had sexually abused their daughter in Delhi, and that their sons were implicated in a false case. They also alleged that an assistant sub-inspector of the North police station had demanded a bribe of ₹5 lakh.
