SHO K.G. Prathapachandran Suspended for Assaulting Pregnant Woman at Ernakulam Station

Kochi: SHO K.G. Prathapachandran has been suspended following an incident where a pregnant woman was allegedly assaulted at the Ernakulam North Police Station. The disciplinary action comes after CCTV footage of the incident, which occurred in 2024, was made public.

Prathapachandran is currently serving as the Station House Officer at the Aroor Police Station. The victim of the alleged assault has been identified as Shaimol, wife of Benjo Baby, who operates the Ben Tourist Home and Hotel situated opposite the railway station near the North Police Station.

The incident dates back to June 20, 2024. Shaimol’s husband was initially taken into custody by plainclothes police for filming an alleged police assault in a public area. Shaimol, upon arriving at the station to inquire about her husband’s arrest, claims she was also subjected to an assault by police personnel.

After a prolonged legal battle spanning a year, the complainant, Shaimol, was granted access to the station’s CCTV footage under a directive from the High Court. She alleges that the police collectively assaulted her, attempted to conceal the incident, and fabricated charges against her. At the time of the incident, the police had denied these allegations, stating that the woman had dragged her infants into the station and that their actions were aimed at resolving the situation. The police had also counter-alleged that Shaimol assaulted the SHO. The recently released CCTV footage has since garnered significant attention and is being widely circulated across various social media platforms.