All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K.C. Venugopal, MP, on Friday said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan bore full responsibility for turning the Kerala Police into a “haven for criminals.”
He said the brutal face of the police had once again been exposed through the incident in Ernakulam where a police officer slapped a pregnant woman. “The situation is such that women cannot approach police stations without fear to lodge complaints. The visuals of the assault reflect the police’s attitude towards women. The Kerala Police were not like this earlier. It is the government’s administrative policies that have pushed the police to such a state. Used by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] to protect criminals, the police force has now turned into a haven for criminals,” he said, terming the situation shameful.
Mr. Venugopal said the public was often unaware of the brutal assaults inflicted on those taken into custody, as such incidents came to light only after years of legal battles. “What Youth Congress activist Sujith faced earlier in Thrissur was a similar form of torture. The Kerala Police, once known for upholding the rule of law, have been turned into an instrument of assault. A series of custodial torture cases have come to light in recent times,” the Congress leader said.
Published – December 19, 2025 07:33 pm IST
