Bus driver, tortured and falsely implicated in molestation case, gets ₹10 lakh compensation

Kerala State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) ordered to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation to a school bus driver, from Kochi, who was falsely implicated in a molestation case. The SPCA gave the verdict after investigations revealed that the police officials had hatched a conspiracy to trap the driver. 

"Stringent punitive measures should be taken against erring officials, and the victim shall be given ₹10 lakh as compensation," SPCA chairman Justice K Narayana Kurup said. 

Suresh Kumar, hailing from Edakochi, was arrested on charges of molesting a five-year-old boy aboard the school bus he was driving. Police arrested him based on a complaint filed by boys father. On the same day, he was admitted to General Hospital, Ernakulam with severe injuries. Medical examinations proved that he had suffered a fracture in his backbone. Kumar had been undergoing treatment for eight months and is completely bedridden. 

A probe conducted by SPCA found that police arrested and used third-degree torture methods before registering a case against him. The investigation also proved that the complaint lodged by boys father was false. It was also found that a personal enmity between the child's father and driver prompted the former to raise false allegations. One of the accused police officers and child's father were close friends for over 14 and years, investigation report states. 

Following this, SPCA ordered stringent action against Joseph Sajan, the sub-inspector, Prakasan, additional sub-inspector and Rajeevan, civil police officer, of Harbour police station. The Chairman said it is impossible for a driver to abuse a child on board a moving bus between a short distance between Mamangalam and Edappally, where the assault was alleged to have taken place. 

Medical reports had mentioned about evidence of brutal custodial torture. Based on these reports, SPCA observed that it would take months for the driver to recover and ordered the government to pay immediate compensation of ₹10 lakh for treatment. The Chairman also pointed out that the victim is entitled to get up to ₹50 lakh as compensation if he approaches Constitutional Court. 
 

• child molestation
• bus driver implicated
• SPCA compensation