‘Assault’ on Driver: Senior Kerala IPS Officer Transferred

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kerala Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Sudesh Kumar, who ran into trouble after his daughter allegedly manhandled a junior policeman, was transferred Saturday.
Kumar, who was also the head of the Armed Police Battalion, has not been given any new posting and has been asked to report to the Police Headquarters here, official sources said. The alleged beating up of the policeman, Gavaskar, the official driver of Kumar, by the latter’s 28-year-old daughter Snigdha took place on Friday. The family members of Gavaskar met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and submitted a complaint to him regarding the incident on Friday itself.
The chief minister assured them of strict action against the IPS officer’s daughter. The incident has kicked up a row as a number of policemen, deployed as camp followers for the personal service of senior officers, have complained about the ill-treatment they face from their superiors and their family members.
The Kerala Police Association has also come out against the alleged ill-treatment meted out to junior policemen by senior officers. DGP Loknath Behera has said a proper and effective inquiry will be carried out on the complaint of the police driver. The allegation that some senior officers were misusing the camp followers and department vehicles would also be looked into and appropriate action would be taken, the DGP has said.
A case has been registered against Snigdha under various sections of the IPC, including 294B (verbal abuse), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from performing duty) and 324 (causing hurt using weapon), while on the basis of her counter-complaint, a case has also been registered against Gavaskar on charges of outraging the modesty of a woman.
The driver was hospitalised after the alleged assault. In his complaint, Gavaskar has alleged that Snigdha verkebally abused him and hit him on his neck and shoulder with her mobile phone. The incident happened when Snigdha and her mother had gone for a morning walk, he has said.
Irked over the delay in bringing the vehicle, the daughter of the IPS officer first verbally abused him and later, thrashed him, Gavaskar has said in his complaint.