Pregnant Woman Assaulted by Cop: SHO Suspended, Opposition Demands Action Against CM

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A station house officer (SHO) has been suspended after a CCTV video showed him allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman at a police station in Kochi last year. Prathap Chandran K J, the SHO of Aroor police station, was suspended on Friday following the surfacing of the CCTV footage from June 20, 2024. According to police, the suspension order was issued by the Inspector General of Police, South Zone, on the directions of State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar. The incident occurred when Shymol N J, a Kochi native, was allegedly assaulted by Chandran, who was then the SHO of Ernakulam North police station, after her husband was taken into custody. CCTV footage shows Chandran pushing Shymol during a commotion and later slapping her in the face. A woman police officer is also seen slapping her in the video. Shymol's husband, Benjo, was taken into custody in connection with a case. The couple has vowed to continue their legal fight until Chandran is dismissed from service. Shymol said she had obtained more CCTV footage related to the incident and would approach the court seeking action against the officer. The incident has sparked outrage, with more persons coming forward with allegations of assault against Chandran. The Congress has also taken up the issue, with party workers staging a protest march to the Ernakulam North police station, demanding Chandran’s dismissal. Congress leader K C Venugopal alleged that the chief minister bears responsibility for the "deterioration of policing" in the state. Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, said the incident exposed repeated instances of police excesses under the present government. The chief minister is facing criticism for not taking action against the officer despite receiving a complaint in 2024. The opposition has demanded that the chief minister apologise to the public and probe whether attempts were made to shield the officer.