Idukki:
In Kerala's Idukki district, a woman legislator from Communist Party of India (CPI) has been caught on camera publicly roughing up the additional district magistrate while he was doing his job.
The visuals show the local legislator, ES Bijimol, shouting and pushing the Additional District Magistrate Moncy P Alexander, who was accompanied by the police on duty.
The controversy broke out over a local issue where the district administration was asked to reinstate gates outside a rubber estate based on the court orders. Earlier, local residents had demanded the removal of the gate, claiming that it was restricting their freedom to movement based on which the state human rights commission had ordered its removal.
"The gate was earlier removed following an order from the Human Rights Commission, but the estate owners managed to secure a stay order from the Kerala High Court. To ensure that the rule of law is maintained, the ADM wanted to put the gate back," a police officer said on the condition of anonymity.
Ms Bijimol told the media that the ADM was hand in glove with the estate owners and was working for their interests.
"When the first order came to remove the gate, the officer took his time and was playing to the estate owners to get time to obtain a stay. And when they obtained a stay, he came soon (to implement the court order)," she said.
"If I had not intervened... the agitated locals would have taken him to task. I only saved him and I never beat him up," said Ms Bijimol.
The police is investigating the case suo moto as it includes prohibiting a public official from performing his duty.