The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has registered cases against the police in the State in connection with excessive use of force during separate lathicharges on the Youth Congress protesters in Palakkad and Malappuram.
Dozens were injured in the police action when Youth Congress activists took out Collectorate marches last week demanding Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel’s resignation.
The commission filed the case following complaints from Youth Congress district general secretary Vinod Cherad in Palakkad and KPCC member K. Sivaraman in Malappuram. Both Mr. Cherad and Mr. Sivaraman were extensively injured in the lathicharge.
Showing video footages and photographs, Mr. Cherad and Mr. Sivaraman told the commission how they were singled out and mercilessly beaten up by the policemen.
Mr. Sivaraman’s complaint was against police officer L. Harilal, who allegedly beat him up when he was standing in front of the KSRTC bus station in Malappuram. “I had not joined the march. I was standing about 200 metres away from the Collectorate gate when he (Mr. Harilal) pounced on me with a lathi,” said Mr. Sivaraman.
