Kerala: Cases aplenty against cops

Kozhikode: Owing to demands from the public the State Police department which formed an independent Police Complaints Authority (PCA) with an aim to provide a platform for citizens seeking to lodge complaints of ‘serious misconduct’ against police personnel anywhere around the State are finding it difficult to manage due to the the overflow of complaints against police officials.

The new authority was formed mainly to deal with complaints of custodial rape, custodial death, extortion or any other serious abuse of authority. Two zones were appointed, one at Kozhikode and the other at Thiruvananthapuram in order to handle the complaints received. 

Complaints from Kasargod to Ernakulam are looked into by the PCA North zone chairman K.V. Gopikuttan.

“For this purpose, we conduct sittings in various districts from the first to the third of a month,’ Mr Gopikuttan said. 

“We receive more number of complaints from Palakad, Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. Due to the shortage of staff under PCA, we take the help of revenue officials to handle cases in respective districts. As a result, we are unable to effectively deal with each case and a majority of them go unheard. Hence, we urge the government to appoint PCA’s in every district so that cases are given due importance,” he added.

It has come to the notice that there are three-year-old cases pending with the PCA that are yet to get justice. Citing special or important duties, a majority of the police officials against whom the cases are filed, skip the sitting, which further results in delay of the case.