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Row as police collect record ₹125cr in fine
About 1.75 million cases of violations were registered during the last three months, with one million cases of not wearing masks, half a million of not maintaining social distancing, and 250k cases of other offences, according to the official.
The Kerala police have collected a whopping ₹125 crore fine against Covid-19 protocol violations in three months, a police official on condition of anonymity said on Tuesday, but the Opposition, activists and a former high court judge questioned the police’s conduct against the people of the state during the pandemic.
About 1.75 million cases of violations were registered during the last three months, with one million cases of not wearing masks, half a million of not maintaining social distancing, and 250k cases of other offences, according to the official.
Opposition parties in the Kerala assembly alleged that a free hand was given to law enforcers to implement the Covid regulations, which has resulted in a police raj on roads. Later, opposition members stormed out of the House protesting the CM’s clean chit to police. Many activists and former judges also came down heavily on police. “People need balm these days. Helpless, they are intimidated and robbed by police. This should end,” said former high court judge Kemal Pasha.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan justified the police action and said it was not right to generalise things, citing some aberrations. He told the assembly that charging a fine was not a sin and in the prevailing situation, tough decisions were needed. He said extremists, communal forces and anarchists are deliberately spreading lies. “Police are doing a yeomen service in pandemic times. Many of its personnel were down with Covid-19 but they maintained the rule of law,” he said.
But opposition members said “police raj” was in place in the state and only Communist supporters are getting justice these days. “The CM has let loose policemen govern the state. Police atrocities are rampant in the state and he repeatedly gives good certificates to offending cops,” said opposition leader V D Satheesan.
The opposition also raised police action on a tribal leader and his family members in Attapady, Palakkad, where the police raided the leader’s house and arrested him forcefully while many family members were hurt in the melee.
But the CM justified the action saying the chieftain was summoned several times to the station on a private complaint but refused to come, which forced the police to act.
Many alleged cases of police atrocities have surfaced over time, with reports of enforced protocol and penalisation of people in the name of regulations. An 18-year-old girl Gouri Nanda was booked recently when she questioned police officials who imposed a fine of ₹500 on an elderly woman who was standing outside an ATM in the Kollam district. A youth was fined ₹2,000 when he went to attend the last rites of one of his relatives but he was given a receipt of ₹500 only. Later, a civil police officer was suspended.
A government doctor was slapped by a police constable in Alapuzha for not giving him due to preference at a vaccination point. In Kazakottam, on the outskirts of the capital city, a youth was allegedly beaten blue last Sunday for coming out of his house during the lockdown.
