Woman cop harasses 8-yr-old girl, HC tells Kerala to pay child Rs 1.5 lakh

The HC said the girl and her father are free to sue the police officer

Considering the "trauma" suffered by an 8-year-old girl, who along with her father were accused of theft by a police officer, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to cough up Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation for violation of her fundamental rights.

The HC also directed the state to pay Rs 25,000 to her as cost of litigation, apart from ordering disciplinary proceedings against the errant officer.

The girl had sought Rs 50 lakh as compensation, but the court said the amount awarded by it was sufficient and the petitioner was entitled to seek higher damages under the civil law.

The incident occurred on August 27 when Attingal resident Jayachandran reached Moonumukku with his eight-year-old daughter, who wanted to watch the movement of a massive cargo to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thumba.

Rajitha, a woman police officer who was deployed to assist in traffic regulation, accused the duo of stealing her mobile phone that was kept in the police vehicle. In a video which went viral, the officer and her colleague were seen harassing the father and the daughter and even frisking him. The child broke down amid their harassment. When an onlooker dialled the cop's number, the phone was found in the police vehicle, following which the police team left the scene without even tendering an apology to the father and the daughter.

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