Police arrested young man seen in video kicking migrant boy in Kannur

Kannur: A viral video of a youngster from Kerala's Kannur district kicking a six-year-old migrant boy who was leaning on his car led to his arrest on Friday. The incident happened on Thursday in Thalassery, Kannur, and it was recorded on CCTV.

The youngster was identified by the police as Shihshad, a resident of Ponniam, near Thalassery, and they said that the migrant boy was from Rajasthan. Shihshad is facing a murder attempt charge after the police opened a case against him.

CCTV footage showed the child leaning on the back of a parked car when a young man approached him and kicked him. Even though locals asked him about this, Shihshad drove away after kicking the boy, Indian Express reported.

Police apparently learned about the event on Thursday night, but they didn't file a report until Friday when videos of the incident went viral. Later, a nearby hospital admitted the boy.

The occurrence, according to Kerala's Minister for Health and Family Welfare Veena George, was shocking and appalling. "The director of the social welfare department was asked to probe and submit a report. The boy was seriously injured in the attack. His family came from Rajasthan to eke out a living. He was attacked without any provocation," she said.

The incident, according to BJP state president K Surendran, was a disgrace for Kerala, and he accused the police of trying to protect the accused. "Police did not bother to help the Rajasthan boy, instead stood with the local criminal. Under (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan's regime, Kerala has become a land of the devil," he said.