Cop assault case: Links of accused with those in power delaying arrest?

KOCHI: Two weeks have gone by since a police officer was assaulted by two people in Kakkanad and no one has been booked for the offense yet, triggering doubts that the accused could be people who have influence with the powers that be. The suspicion arises as the police continue to go slow on the case, even after tracing the registration details of the vehicle and despite one of their officers being at the receiving end of the attack.

Shibin, a police officer attached to the Kerala Armed Police Battalion camp, Ernakulam, suffered injuries as the police were trying to stop a car near the Collectorate Junction, Kakkanad, on June 6, during the night patrol as part of the lockdown. Two people in the car reportedly attacked the police officers and fled the scene.

Sources alleged that the arrest of the accused was being delayed because of their links with high-ranking officials. “The police got the registration number of the car from the crime spot itself. It was not a herculean task for them to trace the person using the car’s registration details. Almost two weeks have passed, but the accused are still at large,” said a police officer on the condition of anonymity. 

On June 6, the officials had asked the accused duo to exit the car after finding them behave suspiciously. “While one person escaped with the car, the other who was in the passenger seat came out of the vehicle and ran away. Though the police caught him near the KBPS office near Kakkanad, he escaped after attacking the young police officer,” the official said. It is also alleged that police are delaying the arrest to give ample time for the accused to get bail.

When contacted, the officer in charge of the investigation said the accused would be apprehended within a few days. “We have traced his location details. Within a few days, we will be able to track him,” said the officer, who refuted allegations of a cover-up.