In Kerala, the police action in a case reveals the police force’s bias and prejudice against Muslims, as well as the moral policing tendencies of the force. A Muslim youth went on a ride with a Hindu girl, leading to a suo moto case initiated by the police after colleagues associated with the BJP called the police station, giving the incident a communal angle. Despite the girl and her mother stating they had no complaints, the police registered an FIR.
The Kasaragod Sessions Court on Tuesday granted bail to Sayyid Hiban Muhammed, a Muslim youth falsely accused of kidnapping a nurse trainee at a prominent hospital in the district.
The 23-year-old Muhammed, an operation theatre technician from Lakshadweep, was falsely accused of kidnapping a minor girl who was a trainee at the hospital. The incident occurred on September 13 during the hospital’s Onam celebration, when the intern requested Muhammed to take her on a motorcycle ride around town. However, their night outing was given a communal angle by several staff members aligned with the BJP, which subsequently led the hospital’s managing director to write to the Kasaragod Vanitha Police, requesting an inquiry into the matter.
Within hours, the Vanitha Police registered a suo moto FIR, booking Muhammed for kidnapping a minor under Section 137(2), even though the girl’s family had no complaints. Despite multiple statements given to the police, the family consistently maintained that Muhammed was innocent.
In the FIR, Sub-Inspector Ajita stated that she “strongly believed the accused took the girl, who is merely 17 years old, out of the hospital with the intention of abusing her.” However, the girl’s mother alleged that BJP leaders pressured them to take a stance against Muhammed.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.