Police thrash man in train; calls for check on police excesses intensify in Kerala

Amidst calls for controlling police brutality in the state, a Kerala police official has been accused of thrashing a passenger inside a sleeper compartment of Maveli Express on Sunday night. The video of the officer, identified as Assistant Sub Inspector Pramod, slapping, kicking and knocking a passenger down, has gone viral.

The officer asked the passenger for the ticket, and while the man was searching for it, Pramod slapped him. The passenger fell down, and the officer kicked him while he lay on the floor of the train. He continued to beat the passenger despite objections from co-passengers. Co-passengers say that the passenger did nothing to attract such a punishment. However, Pramod justified his actions after throwing the passenger out, saying that the safety of other passengers would be compromised if not handled the way he did. Top police officials in Kannur and Railway Protection force officials are currently looking into the entire sequence of events.

Though Pinarayi Vijayan is the home minister, the police force is now controlled by the CPIM, slammed Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan about the incident.

"We all see how a woman police officer misbehaved with an 8-year-old girl. The police have no right to take on the people. If there is a violation of law, action can be taken, but not in the manner of kicking out a passenger who boarded a reservation compartment. The bearings of the police appear to have gone out of order," said Satheesan.

The new incident comes two days after a Swedish national was harassed by police on New Year eve, claiming he had no bill for the liquor he had purchased.