Police under fire for arresting man in front of child
The police, however, denied the presence of a child with the man at the time of his arrest.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
Police have come under fire for manhandling and arresting a man who was with a child during an opposition PPM-PNC rally in Male on Friday afternoon.
PPM-PNC said the man was driving by on his motorcycle with a child and had stopped to take a photo. In a statement, the party condemned the police's "cruel treatment" of the man without any care to the child.
"The coalition condemns the police brutality shown to the man, assaulting and brutally arresting the man in front of the child without even considering what would happen to the boy ," the opposition said in a statement.
Videos of the arrest have been posted on social media. Photos and videos have also been circulating that the man was treated at the IGMH for injuries.
The police, however, denied the presence of a child with the man at the time of his arrest. In a message to the media, police said the man was arrested after he had attempted to throw an object at the police patrolling the area.
However, the opposition statement said the police, which is responsible for ensuring that the roads of the country are safe for the public, have started torturing pedestrians without reason.
The PPM-PNC called on the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and the National Integrity Commission (NIC) to investigate the matter as a very serious one.
The opposition also called on the Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed to investigate the case and explain to the public what happened.
