A sharp political dispute has surfaced in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district following the emergence of CCTV footage showing an alleged assault on a YouTuber while in police custody. The recorded clip, which dates back to July inside the Adoor police station, was aired across television channels on Saturday. It purportedly shows a group of Youth Congress workers beating YouTuber Rajan Joseph inside the station premises, prompting the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to demand immediate and stringent police action against all individuals involved.
CCTV Visuals from Adoor Police Station
In the broadcast footage, Youth Congress activists are seen targeting Joseph inside the station while he remained under detention. Congress leader and district panchayat member Shreena Devi Kunjamma is also captured walking into the police station and purportedly confronting Joseph. Kunjamma was the complainant behind Joseph's arrest, having approached the police with allegations that the YouTuber had published defamatory remarks against her across social media platforms.
Incident Followed Kochi Arrest on July 11
The sequence of events unfolded on July 11, after Adoor police formally took Joseph into custody in Kochi and escorted him back to Adoor police station. During his arrival at the station, an alleged bid to assault him had prompted the police to register a case naming roughly 20 individuals, including members of the Youth Congress. Local CPI(M) leaders stated that the CCTV footage, which they obtained from the police station under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, clearly documents Joseph being physically assaulted and intimidated inside the facility. Consequently, CPI(M) leaders pressed authorities for decisive action against Kunjamma and Youth Congress leader Feni Nainnan.
Youth Congress Refutes Allegations of Violence
In response to the controversy, Youth Congress leadership dismissed the charges of physical violence. Speaking to a television channel, Feni Nainnan insisted that their presence at the police station was restricted entirely to holding a demonstration after learning of Joseph's arrest. Nainnan maintained that no physical altercation or assault took place between party workers and the arrested YouTuber.
Complainant Recounts Sequence on Facebook
Immediately following Joseph's custody in July, Kunjamma had published a statement on Facebook detailing her account of that night. She claimed that before being detained, the YouTuber had repeatedly dared the police to take him into custody. Kunjamma recounted that Joseph was brought to the Adoor facility at around 10:30 pm, where she observed him seated on the floor of the lock-up cell. In her post, she stated, “I spoke to him briefly, introduced myself, and then left the place.”
