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Kerala SHO Suspended After Court-Ordered CCTV Shows Slap of Pregnant Woman in Kochi Station

The footage was released on a Kerala High Court directive after a year-long fight for access.

Overview

  • The June 20, 2024 video from Ernakulam North police station shows then SHO Prathap Chandran pushing and striking N. J. Shymol, with a woman officer also seen slapping her.
  • The Inspector General, South Zone, suspended Chandran, now posted as Aroor SHO, on the State Police Chief’s directions.
  • Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed urgent action, and the DGP sought an immediate report from the law-and-order ADGP.
  • Police had earlier refuted the allegations and an internal inquiry had cleared the officer before the court-ordered release cast those findings in doubt.
  • Additional complainants have come forward, including a Kakkanad resident alleging a 2023 assault, while Shymol and her husband Benjo plan further legal action.