Kollam: Elderly man roughed up by cop

KOLLAM: An elderly man was roughed up by a police officer for not wearing helmet while riding pillion near Ayoor on Wednesday. Visuals of the police officer beating up the man had gone viral and a probe has been ordered into the incident.
Probationary sub-inspector Shajeem, attached to Chadayamangalam police station showed scant regard to age as he manhandled the 69-year-old Ramanadan Nair and tried to throw him into the police jeep.
The team led by Shajeem was conducting vehicle-checking at Manjappara when they stopped the two-wheeler with two helmet-less riders on it.
The rider, one Podimon and Nair, the pillion rider, were told to pay up Rs 500 each as fine.
They told the police that they were manual labourers and had no money with them. They said they would remit the fee later at the police station but the police officer insisted on taking them into custody.
Nair revealed to the SI that he was a patient and was feeling unwell. He also said that since he was riding pillion there was no justification in slapping a penalty on him. This provoked a furious response from the police officer who slapped Ramanandan Nair across the face and tried to bundle him into the police vehicle.
But Nair managed to get out of the jeep and could be seen in the video pleading that he should be taken to a hospital. Noticing that local residents were recording the visuals of the incident, the police team let him go and left the scene taking Podimon with them.
Nair was later admitted to Kadakkal taluk hospital.
Police claimed Nair was drunk and he tried to attack the SI. But they refused to comment on why he was not taken to a hospital for a medical examination if he was drunk.
Meanwhile, the SI has been transferred for rigorous training at KAP (5) battalion , Kuttikkanam. Rural SP Harisankar said further action would be initiated based on the investigation into the incident.