As many as 12 civil police officers, including 11 women officers across various police stations in Kochi city, have been transferred for allegedly shifting flood relief materials without permission.
Officials said the action followed a report to this effect by the Ernakulam Central Station house officer A. Ananthalal. The issue pertains to the alleged shifting of relief materials, including clothes and sanitary pads, collected by the Ernakulam Central Police, for distribution in flood-affected areas.
Though the materials were claimed to have been shifted for distribution among their flood-hit neighbours, the officers had not obtained permission from their superiors. Hence, the officers, who were on duty at the station, were handed transfers.
The episode came to light after CCTV footage of some women civil police officers taking clothes from the relief package emerged online last week. Subsequently, the City Special Branch launched an inquiry.
On finding that the materials had been shifted without permission, a direction to return them was issued.
The women police officers, mobilised from various stations, were in charge of assorting the materials that had come from abroad.