An eight-year-old girl on Thursday, November 18, approached the Kerala High Court seeking Rs 5 million as compensation, after she and her father were falsely accused of mobile phone theft by a woman police officer and shamed in public. In her petition, the girl stated that despite several pleas, no action was taken against the woman police officer, hence they want justice from the court. Following public shaming, she went into a state of shock and had to undergo counselling sessions and that episode continues to haunt her, her petition read.
The incident occurred on August 27, when 38-year-old Jayachandran and his daughter were out on the main road in the outskirts here near Attingal to watch the movement of a huge trailer carrying equipment to the ISRO unit.
Suddenly Rejitha, the woman officer finding her mobile missing, accused Jayachandran who was standing near the police patrol vehicle, of stealing it. She even said that he must have passed the mobile to his eight-year-old daughter, his accomplice. She publicly humiliated the father and the daughter and threatened to take both of them to the nearby police station. This was witnessed by a large crowd.
Later, Rejitha found her mobile phone in the police vehicle itself. The entire episode was filmed by an onlooker. He shared it on social media and it went viral.
On August 31, Jayachandran approached the state police chief Anil Kant seeking action against Rejitha, as his daughter was in a state of shock for being publicly admonished. Promising action, Kant asked South Zone IG Harshita Attaluri to conduct a probe and Rejitha was transferred.
However, it was found out that Rejitha was transferred to a more convenient location and there was actually no action taken against her.
Finding no further action in September, the family observed a day-long sit-in in front of the Kerala Secretariat protesting inaction against the woman police officer attached to the pink patrol unit. When this also went unnoticed, the family decided to move the court.