Four officers attached to the Chunnakam Police Station have been suspended, and the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) has been transferred following an incident in which police officers allegedly assaulted a group of civilians after an accident on Saturday night (9).

The incident involved a van and a motorcycle. When questioned, the motorcyclist claimed to be a police officer and displayed his ID card. It is reported that a woman in the van began recording the incident on her mobile phone, at which point the motorcyclist allegedly attempted to seize her phone and threw it away in an attempt to intimidate her.

During the altercation, the woman was holding her two-year-old child. Nadesamurthy Navaneesan, a former schoolteacher passing by, also recorded the scene on his phone. However, two officers in civvies from the Chunnakam Police, arriving in a three-wheeler, allegedly confiscated Navaneesan’s phone.

The mother later stated that the police attempted to grab her child and intimidate her. Following this, the police reportedly detained the mother, her child, and the van driver at the station for several hours, where the van driver was allegedly assaulted.

After the incident was reported, Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya ordered an immediate investigation. As a result, the Chunnakam Police OIC was transferred, and four officers were suspended. 

A senior police officer said that actions will be taken against the four police officers under the criminal law.

Both the four police officers involved and the van driver were produced in court, where the Mallakam magistrate ordered them to be remanded for a week. The magistrate also instructed the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to secure CCTV footage as evidence.

When questioned about the incident, Police Media Spokesperson DIG Nihal Thalduwa stated he was not aware of it.