JOIN USA day after the daughter of an Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP) allegedly assaulted his official driver, the Chief Minister’s Office has intervened in the matter and ordered a probe on the incident.
Snigdha, daughter of Kerala Armed Police Battalion ADGP Sudesh Kumar IPS, is alleged to have assaulted Gavaskar – the ADGP’s official driver – after he arrived late to pick her and her mother up after a morning walk, in Thiruvananthapuram, on Thursday.
Gavaskar, in his petition, said Snigdha verbally abused him and hit him behind his neck and his shoulder with her cell-phone. She allegedly assaulted him after he refused to hand over the keys of the official vehicle.
Gavaskar, who has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital alleged that he had been facing verbal abuse and humiliation from Kumar, his wife and daughter and was also told to do household chores. He was also brought under pressure to withdraw his petition against Snigdha.
Meanwhile, the Museum Police also registered a case based on a counter petition by Snigdha in which she accused Gavaskar of abusive behaviour. An internal probe has been announced on the cases, both registered with provisions pertaining to non-bailable offences.
Reshma, Gavaskar’s wife, met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday and handed over a petition regarding the incident.
“The government views this as a very serious matter. Directives have already been passed to initiate appropriate action,” Vijayan told reporters after the meeting.
The Kerala Police Association has extended support to the police driver. Members of the association said preliminary enquiries revealed Gavaskar had a “genuine” case.
On Friday, the incident set off similar charges of ill-treatment of other camp followers by police officials and their family members. However, earlier instances of similar abuse could not be taken up by the association because the victims refused to go public with their grievances, they said.