Vadakkancherry SHO Transferred After KSU Activists Produced in Court Wearing Face Covers

Thrissur: U.K. Shahjahan, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Vadakkancherry, has been transferred to the police headquarters following an incident where three Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists were presented in court with their faces covered. The transfer order was issued by ADGP S. Sreejith from the Police Headquarters, based on a report from the City Police Commissioner.

The three KSU activists — Ganesh Aattur, District Vice President; Al Ameen, District Committee Member; and K.A. Aslam, Killimangalam Arts College Unit President — were arrested in connection with a clash between the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and KSU. They were brought before the Magistrate Court with their heads covered with black cloth and handcuffed, a practice typically reserved for hardened criminals.

Magistrate Naseeb A. Abdul Razzaq severely criticized the police action, questioning the necessity of covering the activists’ faces. The court had instructed SHO Shahjahan to submit a detailed report through the District Police Chief by Monday. The police had initially explained that the face covers were for an identification parade. However, this explanation was deemed suspicious by the court as the arrested individuals were already named in the First Information Report (FIR).

The KSU activists were also subjected to medical examinations while still wearing the face covers. The case stems from an altercation that occurred on August 19 in Mulloorkkara, where the police reportedly filed cases exclusively against KSU members.

While the transfer order does not explicitly state the face-covering incident as the reason, it notes Shahjahan’s consistent failures in maintaining law and order. Shahjahan is currently facing two other disciplinary actions. The transfer occurred urgently, just as the SHO was preparing to present his report to the court regarding the controversial incident.