THIRUVANTHAPURAM/THRISSUR: Kadavanthra Station House Officer P M Ratheesh has been suspended following allegations of custodial assault at the Peechi police station. The suspension order was issued by the South Zone IG Shyam Sundar. Ratheesh, who currently serves as the SHO at Kadavanthra station in Ernakulam, had previously held the position of SI at Peechi. The order issued by the IG noted that the decision was taken as it is inappropriate for the accused officer to continue in service.
During the period of suspension, he shall be entitled to subsistence allowance as per the provisions of the law, the order noted. The issue was raised in the legislative assembly during an adjournment motion on Tuesday.
The incident in question happened on May 24, 2023, when Ratheesh assaulted hotel owner K P Ouseph, his son, and their driver at the Peechi station.
The assault reportedly followed a complaint filed by two individuals, Dinesh and Jinish, regarding a dispute over the quality of food served at Ouseph’s hotel. Ouseph and his driver had arrived at the station to file a counter-complaint when the alleged assault took place. Ouseph later accused the police of demanding a large sum of money to settle the case informally.