Kochi: In a detailed report submitted to the Kerala High Court, Malappuram Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Feroz M Shafeeque has refuted the sexual abuse allegations made against suspended IPS officer Sujith Das and other senior police officials.
The report submitted on September 13 concluded that the claims by a woman from Ponnani, who accused Das and two other officers of sexual misconduct, were inconsistent and lacked credibility.
The woman had complained to the Ponnani Police against former Ponnani Circle Inspector (CI) Vinod Valiyattoor, now serving in Kottakkal, and former Tirur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) VV Benny, currently stationed in Tanur. She alleged that DySP Benny attempted to molest her in 2022, making derogatory remarks and that she resisted. Additionally, she accused IPS officer Das of sexual assault.
According to ASP Feroz’s report, the investigation revealed significant contradictions in the complainant's statements concerning the time, date, and location of the alleged incidents. The woman was vague about key details, including specific dates, and reportedly added new allegations against other officers only after submitting her initial petition.
“In the petitions, the woman claims that the first incident occurred in mid-2022 at 10 pm on the day she filed a complaint at Ponnani Police Station. However, in her statement to the DySP Special Branch, she mentioned the incident took place nine months before September 2022, at 9 pm, three days after filing the petition. In another petition to the District Police Chief, she again stated the time was 9 pm. In her statement to DySP Tirur, she said the incident occurred the day after she filed a property dispute petition. There are inconsistencies regarding the timing and day of the alleged incident across her statement,” the report said.
The report also states that SHO Vinod was not present at the station on May 24, 2022 when the complainant filed her property dispute petition. According to records, he left the station on May 23 and reached only on May 25.
Regarding DySP Benny, the report clarifies that no allegations were raised against him in the woman's initial complaint; these claims surfaced only in her recent petitions. Similarly, accusations against IPS officer Das emerged at a later stage in the investigation. The report also notes that the woman's claim of being directed to a location near the Passport Office by Das could not be corroborated by evidence. In both cases against Das, the bus and auto fares cited by the woman did not match with the actual market rates. Even though she travelled from the alleged location of offences, it is surprising that she cannot name the place or any land mark to identify the location, the report states.
It added that the complainant failed to provide specific information to substantiate her claims despite multiple opportunities. The inquiry team interviewed the complainant, witnesses, and several officers named in the petition, but no substantial evidence was found to support the allegations.
FIR not registered due to 'inconsistencies'
The ASP's report emphasised that filing an FIR based on a complaint lacking essential details, such as specific times and locations, would unfairly damage the officers' reputations. The findings concluded that the woman's complaint appeared to be "malicious" and lacked credibility, which was insufficient to justify the registration of an FIR. Malappuram police had previously deemed the allegations without merit, stating that further action would not be taken unless credible evidence emerged.
The case has sparked controversy, with Nilambur MLA PV Anvar criticising the police for not filing an FIR, while DySP Benny has lodged a counter-complaint against a television channel, alleging that the channel aired the accusations as part of a vendetta related to the Muttil tree-felling case, in which the channel's owners are implicated. The Kerala High Court will now review the ASP’s report as part of the ongoing proceedings related to the complaint.
Allegations
On September 6, 2024, the woman submitted a petition via email to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Thrissur Range. In the complaint, she alleged that the Station House Officer (SHO) of Ponnani Police Station raped her in mid-2022 after she complained about a property dispute. A week later, she claimed that DySP Benny sexually assaulted her at her home.
The woman further alleged that IPS officer Sujith Das raped her at two different locations after contacting her via WhatsApp. She also claimed Das pressured her to cooperate with a Customs Officer.
Prior to these allegations, the woman had filed a petition on May 24, 2022, regarding a property dispute at Ponnani Police Station. On June 6, 2022, she submitted another petition to the District Police Chief, Malappuram, accusing the Ponnani SHO of accepting remuneration from an accused in a case (Ponnani PS Cr 294/2022) registered under Section 354A(1)(i) IPC. This complaint was investigated by DySP Tirur, who found the allegations baseless.
On August 20, 2022, the woman submitted another petition to the District Police Chief, Malappuram, alleging that the Ponnani SHO raped her two days after she filed her property dispute petition. She claimed to have reported the incident to DySP Benny, but no action was taken.
