HC orders payment of compensation to NRI imprisoned on false charges

The Kerala High Court has ordered the State government to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation to a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) who was imprisoned for 54 days in Kerala and ₹1 lakh each to his wife and three children, after the police were found to have falsely charged him with chain snatching in July 2018.

Thalassery native V.K. Thajudeen had come on a 15-day leave to the State to attend his daughter’s wedding. The police took him into custody as he was travelling in a car with his family members, alleging that he resembled a person who had been recorded in CCTV snatching the chain of a woman.

He was later taken to different places, including the houses of his relatives, to gather ‘evidence’ and to ‘recover’ the two-wheeler that he is said to have used to ‘escape’ after the alleged crime.

He was imprisoned by the trial court, with the police citing that the woman who lost the chain had identified him. Following this, Mr. Thajudeen’s wife petitioned the Chief Minister’s Office, and it emerged during a probe by the Kannur Deputy Superintendent of Police that the chain was stolen by another person. Although Mr. Thajudeen was set free, he had to spend another 23 days in prison in Qatar, on the charge that he reported back to work many days after the expiry of his leave. He also lost his job there.

A Bench of Justice P.M. Manoj termed his arrest by the Chakkarakkal police in Kannur as an irresponsible act and directed the government to pay the compensation. It also ought to decide on recovering the compensation amount from then sub inspector and two assistant sub inspectors who arrested Mr. Thajudeen. The court said that he could further approach civil courts, seeking action against the police personnel.