Bathing dogs not officers’ job — Vijayan
KERALA CM: ACTION TO BE TAKEN AGAINST SENIOR OFFICERS IF THEY VIOLATE NORMS
It has been a few days since Gavaskar, a police driver of a very senior police officer, was beaten up by his daughter. While the victim is in hospital, a case has been registered against him. But no action has been taken against the official’s daughter.”
Facing a volley of criticism over using police constables to do menial jobs for senior officers at their residences, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued another warning against such practices yesterday.
The matter had come to light last week after Abdul Kareem Gavaskar, a constable attached to the team of additional director general of police (ADGP), Sudheesh Kumar, was admitted to the hospital after he complained he had been hit on the neck by Kumar’s daughter, Snigda.
Police then filed a charge against Gavaskar on the complaint of the ADGP’s daughter that he had grabbed her hand.
The matter figured again in the state assembly when K. Muraleedharan MLA demanded an adjournment motion, pointing out that some of the junior rank police personnel attached to senior officials — known in police parlance as ‘camp followers’ — were illtreated and even being used as midwives.
The Congress-led opposition walked out of the Kerala Assembly in protest against what it said was inaction against the daughter of a top police officer.
Before leading the walkout, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala slammed Vijayan for his failure to take prompt action.
“It has been a few days since Gavaskar, a police driver of a very senior police officer, was beaten up by his daughter. While the victim is in hospital, a case has been registered against him. But no action has been taken against the official’s daughter,” Chennithala said.
Responding to the demand for an adjournment motion, Vijayan,
Ramesh Chennithala | Leader of Opposition
who also holds the home portfolio, said “bathing dogs is not the job of policemen”, adding that action would be taken against senior officials if they violated norms in the name of ensuring discipline of junior cadre officials.
However, on social media, the chief minister was criticised for constantly threatening action against erring senior officers without actually taking any such action. In the Gavaskar incident, the ADGP was removed from the post of battalion ADGP, with no other measure taken against him.
The chief minister informed the House that a total of 335 police personnel had been deputed for security work for various individuals who required security cover.
After Gavaskar lodged an official complaint, different ‘camp followers’ in the police force have alleged that senior officials have been forcing them to do jobs including washing clothes, laying floor tiles and buying provisions for officers’ families.