P.M. Vimod, sub-inspector of the Kozhikode Town police station, was suspended from service on Saturday on charges of assaulting media persons on the premises of the Kozhikode District Court and the Kozhikode Town police station.
The suspension order was issued by the City Police Commissioner Uma Behra following a direction from the State Police Chief Loknath Behera, who sought a preliminary investigation report.
A department-level inquiry has been ordered against the officer immediately after the incident.
The suspension order came by evening as the police officer was found attacking the Asianet crew again on the premises of the Town station when they came there to take back the seized OB van.
He allegedly dragged them to the station building and locked them inside the room. Police sources said the sub-inspector acted tough as some of the media crew used provocative language against him.
Meanwhile, the SPC told reporters in the capital that “responsible officers should not behave in this manner. What I saw on television, I was unhappy. The sub-inspector has done a mistake. There is nothing for me to justify.”
Asked if a case would be registered against the sub-inspector and if he would be arrested, the SPC said he had not received any formal complaint of assault from media persons so far. “You are saying an assault took place. I have not received any complaint so far,” he said, adding he was very sad with the development.
“The arrest can happen if there is a criminal case. Now prima facie there was misconduct,” he said, adding suspension was a prima facie procedure before taking departmental action.
Mediapersons took out rallies in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Delhi in protest against the incident.
