Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condemned the Kannur district police for having made passers-by perform forced squats as a punishment for gathering publicly during lockdown hours.
The Chief Minister said here on Saturday he had sought a report from State Police Chief (SPC) Loknath Behera and hinted that he might take action against District Police Chief (DPC), Kannur, Yatish Chandra. A widely circulated WhatsApp video showed Mr. Chandra administering corporal punishment to a group of three persons in front of a half-open convenience store at Azheekal.
Mr. Vijayan said the incident went against the grain of Kerala’s culture. The event was a blot on the reputation of the force.
A preliminary inquiry had revealed that an officer had shot the video at the instance of Mr. Chandra and disseminated it later through social media.
Mr. Chandra told reporters in Kannur that he had acted in public interest. The police had found it difficult to restrict gatherings in rural localities. He thought a token punishment aired on social media would act as a social deterrent and keep people indoors.
Probe ordered
Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission ordered an inquiry into the incident by the SPC. Its member P. Mohandas said the inquiry report must be submitted within three weeks.
