Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 19 (IANS) The disturbing visuals from a police station in Kerala showing a pregnant woman being humiliated and assaulted have triggered widespread outrage and forced the authorities to act.

The visuals, which surfaced on Thursday night in Kochi, have raised several questions. The police uniform is meant to symbolise protection, trust and the assurance that the state stands with its citizens. But when that uniform is misused, the damage goes far beyond a single incident; it corrodes public faith in the rule of law.

The disturbing episode that surfaced in Kochi this week, captured on CCTV, is yet another reminder of how easily the protector can turn into the perpetrator.

The visuals from the Ernakulam police station show a pregnant woman being humiliated and assaulted.

The officer, Prathapachandran, was suspended soon after his atrocity was watched by all on news TV channels.

But the obvious question remains: would any action have followed had the cameras not been rolling?

That question leads to a deeper, more uncomfortable truth about why police atrocities in Kerala refuse to end.

A significant part of the problem lies in the unhealthy nexus between political power and sections of the police force. Over time, loyalty to political masters — rather than to the Constitution — has become a currency that rewards certain officers with protection, postings and impunity. This misplaced loyalty emboldens some officials to act with a sense of invincibility.

When police officers begin to see themselves as instruments of political authority rather than servants of the law, excesses become easier to justify and harder to punish. Ordinary citizens, especially the poor and powerless, end up paying the price.

Kerala Police often speak the language of reform and people-friendly policing. Yet incidents like the Kochi case puncture that narrative.

For every act caught on CCTV, there are many more that vanish into unfiled complaints, intimidated victims and institutional silence.

Suspensions after public exposure are reactive damage control, not systemic correction.

What is missing are independent oversight mechanisms, meaningful consequences, and a political will to let the law take its course even when it is inconvenient.

Expressing his deep resentment, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said for nearly a decade, the Home Department has remained firmly under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s charge.

“Lock-up violence, human rights violations and routine abuse of power have occurred not despite this control, but under it. The claim of “people-friendly policing” rings hollow when citizens repeatedly encounter intimidation instead of protection inside police stations,” said Satheesan.

A democracy cannot depend on surveillance cameras to deliver justice. Nor can it afford a police force that draws confidence from political patronage rather than constitutional accountability. Until that relationship is reset, each new video will reinforce a troubling belief: that safety today lies not in the police station, but in being seen by a camera.

–IANS

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