A six-year old migrant boy was brutally kicked by a youth for playfully leaning on his car in Thalassery in Kannur district on Thursday night.
As the shocking CCTV visuals of the cruel incident went viral on social media platforms and news channels started telecasting it, police took the 20-year old accused into custody in the early hours of Friday and recorded his arrest later in the day.
In the purported video, the boy, belonging to a migrant worker family from Rajasthan, could be seen standing leaning on a car parked on the side of a busy road in Kannur.
The angry man could be seen asking the child something and brutally kicking him following which the shocked boy walked away silently.
In the visuals, some local people could also be seen questioning the inhuman act of Mohammed Shihshad, hailing from Ponyampalam near here, and he was heard justifying his act saying the boy was standing near his vehicle for some time.
The accused soon left the place in the same vehicle.
The injured child is currently under treatment in a nearby hospital.
Local people complained that though the police were informed about the incident, they did not take the incident seriously.
However, Thalassery ASP Nithin Raj, who conducted a detailed probe, rejected the charges and said the man was taken into custody soon after identifying him.
Claiming that there was no delay in action in the case, he said the issues, being faced by migrant worker community, is seen with much seriousness by the police.
"In this case, we traced the number of the car first and thus identified the person, involved in the incident. After confirmation, we immediately taken him into custody and recorded his arrest later," he told reporters.
The case was registered based on the complaint of the boy's mother and sections including Indian Penal Code 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) were imposed against the accused, he said.
The child is currently under treatment in a hospital and the doctors are examining his health condition, the police official added.
The ASP did not give a clear reply when repeatedly asked whether the local police let off the accused in the night after taking him into custody.
Meanwhile, people from various walks of life including ministers, MLAs, opposition party leaders and so on strongly condemned the incident saying it was just cruel, inhuman and shocking.
Education Minister V Sivankutty said in a Facebook post that humanity is not something which you can buy from shops.
'How cruel is it to kick away a six-year old for leaning on a car. All legal action will be ensured. Such incidents should not be repeated,' the minister said.
Health Minister Veena George said the Department of Women and Child Development would provide the boy and his family all necessary support including the legal assistance to fight the case.
'The child is seriously injured. In the CCTV visuals, he could be seen standing shell-shocked even without understanding why he was kicked,' she said in her FB handle.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and Bharatiya Janata Party state chief K Surendran vehemently criticised the local police saying they committed a grave lapse by releasing the accused after taking him into custody on Thursday night.
"Thalassery police have sprung into action ten hours after the incident. This might be yet another isolated incident for the Chief Minister. But, this police force is a disgrace to Kerala. In the state, who is getting protection from the police...victims or the hunters?" Satheesan asked.
Surendran accused the police of serious dereliction of duty by not filing a case against the accused initially and not taking child to the hospital immediately.
Stringent action should be taken against the police officer who protected the criminal, the leader added.
