This Article is From Sep 06, 2013

Kerala: Man kicked mercilessly by cop for waving black flag at Chief Minister

A Kerala policeman caught on camera assaulting a protester

Thiruvananthapuram: A policeman in Kerala has been caught on camera brutally assaulting a protester who had waved a black flag at Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in state capital Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

Visuals captured by TV cameras show a protester of the opposition CPI-M repeatedly kicked in his private parts by a sub-inspector as half a dozen policemen held him back. The man was part of a black flag protest on a road that the Chief Minister's convoy was to take.

The man, in his late 30s, could be seen collapsing in pain from the savage beating. He was taken to the city medical college. The police also allegedly lathi-charged the other people protesting against the solar scam, allegedly involving the Chief Minister's office and his close aides.

Launching swift damage control, the state government has ordered an inquiry and asked the police to take action against their personnel involved in the beating.

Kerala's opposition Left Democratic Front has been demanding the Chief Minister's resignation over the solar scam, an alleged con job by a pair of entrepreneurs including a woman named Saritha Nair. A photograph of Ms Nair sharing the stage with Mr Chandy at a function last year and whispering into his ear have been widely circulated by the protesters.
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