Flaws in investigation against CPM member, Kerala police official faces internal probe

KOCHI:   In a strange twist, the police officer who investigated the case in which a  CPM party member was accused of uploading photos of a woman in WhatsApp groups  will have to face a departmental probe.
The Ernakulam Rural Police have launched a department-level probe against the Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of Ayyampuzha police  station Baijukuttan K V for reported flaws in his investigation after the complainants wrote to the chief minister alleging flaws. Baijukuttan is currently under suspension for allegedly taking bribe from sand mafia. 

The related incident took place in July 2022, when  former CPM Ayyampuzha Chully  Branch Secretary Biju (48) took pictures of a woman without her knowledge and posted the pictures in a WhatsApp group that is known to  circulate obscene images. A neighbour who was in the WhatsApp group informed the victim’s husband about the picture in September 2022. 

“We first approached Ernakulam  Rural Cyber Police who did not take any action. Later, a case was registered against Biju at Ayyampuzha police station and ASI Baijukuttan conducted the probe. He  charged a minor offense against the accused who was granted bail from the police station. Later, we came to know that no proper investigation was carried out. Then we  wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan citing flaws in the probe,” the husband of the victim said.

The case was registered under section 119(b) of the Kerala Police  Act for taking photographs and propagating in a manner affecting the reasonable privacy of a woman on September 18, 2022. ASI Baijukuttan completed the probe taking  just over a month and filed a chargesheet at Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on October 25, 2022.

After conducting a preliminary probe regarding the inappropriate investigation conducted in the case, Ernakulam Rural Police Chief Vivek Kumar ordered a re-investigation in the case on January 23. He tasked Ernakulam Rural DySP C- Branch to conduct the re-investigation. A report was filed at the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court regarding a re-investigation of the case on January 24.  DySP  C-Branch recorded the statement of the victim’s husband recently. 

“A DySP ranked officer is assigned to conduct a probe against ASI Baijukuttan as well. Based on the  internal probe report, disciplinary action would be initiated. DySP C-Branch has been directed to conduct an in-depth probe related to the WhatsApp group and illegal  acts carried out by the group members,” a senior police officer said.