Police assault family group in Kerala's Pathanamthitta due to 'mistaken identity', probe on

The injured persons told reporters that the police team allegedly thrashed everyone who was around a bar including a family group whose vehicle was parked there.

Pathanamthitta: Three members of a family were injured after they were allegedly assaulted by police in front of a bar here in the wee hours of Wednesday due to ‘mistaken identity,’ stirring an outrage from the public.

Police sources said a police patrol vehicle reached the bar after its manager complained that some people were creating trouble and were trying to control the situation there.

The injured persons told reporters that the police team allegedly thrashed everyone who was around the bar including the family group whose vehicle was parked there.

Some members of the group who had come out of the vehicle were allegedly beaten up in a bid to scare them away. Three of them, including a woman who slipped and fell while turning away from the attack, were injured, sources said.

Political leaders including CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district secretary Raju Abraham condemned the police excesses on the family and demanded exemplary action against the policemen involved.

Congress leader and Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony alleged that there was ‘total anarchy’ in Pathanamthitta district for the last few months. Police, who had failed to put an end to crimes in the district, are now being perpetrators of crime, he charged, and demanded immediate action against the erring policemen.

Police sources said Pathanamthitta deputy superintendent of police S Nandakumar was taking the statements of the policemen and the injured persons as part of the investigation into the incident.

“Let me complete the investigation and action will follow,” Nandakumar told reporters.