The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered the state to pay a compensation of ₹1.5 lakh to a minor girl and her father who were accused by a woman police officer of stealing her mobile phone and were questioned in public.
Single bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran also imposed ₹25,000 as the cost of the legal expenses and directed the government to take disciplinary action against the officer.
The petitioners, an 8-year-old girl and father, had moved the court two months ago seeking compensation of ₹50 lakh from the government for humiliating them in public in Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram on August 27.
According to the petition, they were watching movement of cargo headed to Vikram Sarabhai Research Centre on that day. The pink police was part of the police deployment to control the public. When a woman officer misplaced her mobile phone, she accused the father-daughter duo, who were standing near the police vehicle, of stealing it. Both were questioned in public by the officer and the girl was frisked, the petition added.
“We cannot let our daughters grow up in anger; immediate remedial steps should be taken. No one can dispute that her Fundamental Right under Article 21 to lead a dignified life,” the judge observed while delivering the verdict.
The ruling comes as a setback to the state government which opposed the father-daughter plea and insisted that there was no need to pay compensation.
The court also recorded that it expected the state to rise in defence of the petitioner since she was “its daughter” as well. It expressed disappointment at the refusal of the state government to acknowledge the trauma she went through. The court also said disciplinary action should be taken against the officer.
Earlier, while hearing the petition, the court asked the state government what it proposes to do to assuage feelings of an 8-year-old girl and her father so as to ensure her faith in humanity and police.
