Senior IPS officer R. Nishanthini had an out of court reprieve when she paid a hefty compensation to get a criminal case filed against her by a bank manager dropped through the mediation centre of the High Court.
Percy Joseph Desmond, the then manager of the Thodupuzha branch of the Union Bank, had filed a criminal suit against Ms. Nishanthini, then ASP of Idukki, and fellow police officers, levelling eight charges, including custodial torture and criminal conspiracy, in 2011. The High Court verdict upholding the voluntary settlement of the case reached through the mediation centre on July 12 stated that the respondents concerned had agreed to pay ₹10 lakh towards legal expenses and incidental cost incurred by the petitioners.
Mr. Desmond said he had received ₹18.50 lakh towards compensation.
“Before handing me a demand draft for ₹10 lakh they had transferred another ₹8.50 lakh into my account, including ₹50,000, which the lawyers claimed would be needed to wrap up the proceedings in the Thodupuzha court where I filed the suit,” he said.
The case pertained to an incident in which Mr. Desmond was taken into custody on charges of molesting a woman cop who had turned up in his bank for inquiring about a loan. He was then allegedly beaten up by Ms. Nishanthini and fellow police officers. However, he was granted bail in the case following which he filed the suit against Ms. Nishanthini and the police officers in the Thodupuzha Judicial First Class Magistrate Court.
Defamation case
Later, when he was acquitted of the charges levelled against him, Mr. Desmond filed another suit for defamation claiming compensation of ₹25 lakh against the police officers at the Thodupuzha sub court.
“The government was apathetic in my case and delayed the disciplinary proceedings against the officer. After eight years of legal battle, the police officers had to settle the case by paying compensation, which is a fair punishment for them,” said Mr. Desmond.
Ms. Nishanthini, Commandant, Woman Police Battalion, is currently abroad on a scholarship.
