More than a month after police personnel K. Santhosh Kumar was suspended in connection with attempting to murder a petrol pump attendant in Kannur, questions are being raised over the Motor Vehicles department’s (MVD) delay in taking action.
The incident occurred on July 14, when Kumar, a police mess grade ASI driver, allegedly refused to make full payment after refueling at a petrol station. When the attendant Anil confronted him, Kumar rammed his vehicle into him. The CCTV footage of the attack quickly went viral, leading to his suspension. A case was registered at the Town police station.
This was not the first time Kumar had been involved in such an incident. Earlier, he had reportedly crashed a police vehicle into a petrol station, narrowly avoiding injuring workers. Despite the history of reckless behavior, the MVD has only issued a notice to Kumar, with no further action taken.
Regional Transport Officer (Enforcement) B. Saju confirmed that a notice had been served but claimed the incident happened before he took office and he was unaware of the current status. However, a senior MVD official, speaking anonymously, said that the inquiry into Kumar’s conduct should have been completed by now. “If found to be a repeat offender, his license should be revoked. In general cases, action would have already been taken,” the official added.
Public criticism has intensified, particularly from a social activist K. Devdas, who had previously filed a petition with the State Human Rights Commission after Kumar’s earlier offense. He questioned the delay, accusing the authorities of trying to protect the officer. “Why is there such inaction? Are they waiting for something worse to happen before revoking his license?” he asked. The deferral of action has led to growing suspicion that both the police and the MVD might be protecting Kumar.
Published - September 05, 2024 11:51 pm IST
