Kottarakara court orders FIR against four cops for assaulting murder case accused

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The Kottarakara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I hasordered an investigation and registration of an FIR against four identifiable police officers for the alleged physical assault and illegal detention of Shinu Peter, the 12th accused in the ‘Aluva’ Athul murder case, which was registered by the Karunagapally police. The court issued the directive after carefully examining a private complaint filed by his mother, Biji Peter, along with crucial digital evidence, including CCTV footage that captured the incident.

According to the complaint, the police committed grave violations of legal procedures by keeping Shinu in unlawful custody for over 24 hours before producing him before a magistrate. The petition highlights that Shinu, whose wife is currently abroad, had been residing in Kottarakara and taking care of their one-year-old daughter. The incident took place on March 14, 2026 at around 3.25 p.m., when the four accused police officers arrived at a local quarry where Shinu was working. In full view of onlookers, the officers allegedly physically assaulted him before forcibly putting him into a police vehicle.

According to the complaint, Shinu was initially moved to a different police vehicle and taken to a station. Later that night, after 9.30 p.m., the police personnel paraded him before the media, presenting him as an accused in a murder case that occurred within the Karunagapally police station limits. He was subsequently brought to the Karunagapally station under police escort around 11 p.m.

“The digital records submitted to the court reveal a significant discrepancy in the official timeline of the arrest. While CCTV footage firmly establishes that Shinu was taken into custody between 3.30 p.m. and 3.34 p.m. on March 14, he was produced before the magistrate on March 15 at 10.09 p.m. The police deliberately falsified the time of arrest in their official remand application to mislead the magistrate and secure his judicial remand,” said Ms. Peter.