The Kerala High Court on Wednesday observed that the eight-year-old girl who was humiliated by a Pink police officer at Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram district must be compensated by the government.
Justice Devan Ramachandran, while hearing a petition filed by the girl seeking strict action against the civil police officer, Rejitha, and compensation, observed that the girl was wronged and certainly had to be compensated under the public law remedy.
The court, however, pointed out that it was not going to accede to a compensation of ₹50 lakh sought by the girl as it was an exorbitant amount.
The court asked the State government to give a specific response to its proposal to award the girl compensation. The police officer’s action had “created havoc” in the mind of the girl, who was terrified.
On SPC statement
During the hearing, the court observed that the State Police Chief (SPC) was attempting to whitewash the incident. The SPC’s statement that there was no intention on part of the police officer to implicate or humiliate or intimidate the girl was not true. In fact, the inquiry into the incident should have been done publicly. Instead, an internal inquiry was conducted. A proper inquiry had to be done against the officer, the court observed.
It also asked what the point was in transferring the police officer to another post in Kollam from Attingal as she continued to do the same job. The SPC had issued a circular against the use of disrespectful words towards the public. In fact, action had to be taken in accordance with the circular.
The court orally observed that the police officer should be held accountable for her mistakes. The SPC’s justification was that she had a family, “but can that be a justification for whatever the police does?”
The court also interacted with clinical psychologist Dr. Sreelal of the Thiruvanathapuram Mental Health Centre who assessed the child a few days after the incident. Dr. Sreelal informed that the child was quite intelligent and communicated well, unlike other children of her age.
The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the family had not accepted the apology tendered by the woman police officer.
