Kannur: The Kerala Police apologised to the State Human Rights Commission over an apparently humiliating punishment ordered by the then Kannur District Police Chief and Superintendent of Police (SP) Yathish Chandra against a few violators of the COVID-19 lockdown norms two years ago.

The incident took place on March 22, 2020 at Valapattanam in Kannur. Chandra had ordered a few men to do sit-ups holding their ears with hands (etham  in Malayalam).

During a routine inspection to oversee the lockdown when public gatherings were banned Chandra noticed a crowd near a tailoring shop at Valapattanam. The District Police Chief approached the men and forced them to perform ‘etham’.

Reports with photographs of the punishment had appeared in several newspapers, based on which the State Human Rights Commission registered a case.

Subsequently, the Kannur Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police apologised to the rights panel over the incident. However, in the apology, the police pointed out that the intention of the District Police Chief was good as it was aimed at instilling discipline.

However, K Baiju Nath, the judicial member of the rights panel, directed the police to desist from such measures if violations of the law are noticed and stick to the procedures mentioned in the Kerala Police Act. The rights panel, while commending the Kerala Police for its effective steps to contain COVID-19, also said that officers had no right to punish or torture law-breakers.