The police officers who had used excessive force during a search operation will be investigated justly, stated Home Minister Imran Abdulla.
Last Friday night, police officers searched a home in Maafannu ward, during which officers used excessive force on a suspect. A video of the officers using excessive force went viral on the social media resulting in the suspension of the seven officers. A special team has been appointed to investigate the case.
Minister Imran Abdulla on Tuesday posted a tweet commending Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed for taking swift actions within minutes of finding out about the case. Relevant authorities and public were informed on the matter, said Imran, pointing out that transparency was key to the current administration's governance approach.
"The government will never tolerate torture and injustice. I assure that as much as we are against torture we would never take an unjust action against an officer. Hence I request both police officers and the public to refrain from speculations while the investigations are going on." stated Imran.
However, some police officers are protesting the suspension of the seven officers in question on social media, with many changing their Facebook profile picture to an image with 'With DED' written on a black background. DED stands for Drug Enforcement Department.
Regarding the case, police earlier revealed in the press release that they had raided M. Ujaalaa after receiving information of drugs being involved. During the home search last week at M. Ujaalaa, a Bangladeshi national 36 years was arrested at the premise with drugs. A 26-year old local man, who attempted to flee after escaping through a window was also apprehended on the street, informed the police. During the operation, approximately 461 grams of substances suspected to be drugs were found in the residence.
A video that showed the Bangladeshi man being beaten up in the process of having him arrested circulated on social media following the operation, after which the Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed ordered the 'Professional Standards Command' to investigate the incident as the actions of the arresting officers violated the code of ethics and code of conduct of the police, read the statement.
The police assured that steps are being taken to ensure that the code of ethic and the code of conduct of the police are not transgressed in future. The police also assured that the authority would continue to fight in the war against drugs.
