Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Police officer assaulted: 5 DHRM activists held

PATHANAMTHITTA: A civil police officer attached to the Pathanamthitta police station was assaulted allegedly by a group of Dalit Human Rights Movement (DHRM) activists at Puthenpeedika Scheduled Caste Colony, near Omalloor, on Wednesday.

According to the police, the incident occurred when Thomas Mathew, 46, went to the colony for an address verification.

A group of DHRM activists reportedly questioned him and detained him there. He was later released by a police party which came from Pathanamthitta.

He was admitted to the Pathanamthitta General Hospital with contusion all over the body.

The police arrested five DHRM activists from the colony in connection with the incident. The arrested were identified as Ramesh, 23, Santhosh, 30, Rajeev, 24, Reghu, 23, and Vishnu, 19.

In a statement here, Seleena Prakkanam, DHRM State organiser, alleged that the civil police officer had abused and assaulted Dalit women who were attending a study camp at a house in the colony.

Ms. Seleena alleged that the police officer dressed as a civilian was drunk and had assaulted a Dalit woman who had asked him to show his photo identity card when he tried to enter the house.

The agitated women questioned him and he ran away on seeing more people rushing to the spot. He fell down while trying to run away from the colony. The women folk at the colony caught him and detained him.

Ms. Seleena said the police had registered a false case against DHRM activists and called for action against the civil police officer.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Plea to promote Thelliyoor fair
Police officer assaulted: 5 DHRM activists held
Road to Sannidhanam needs repairs

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu