These are some of the conclusions:
The court ordered the State Government to pay a total of ₹14 lakh
in compensation.
- ₹10
lakh for V.K. Thajudheen for his illegal arrest, loss of job, and mental
agony.
- ₹1
lakh each for his wife and three children (total ₹4
lakh) for the defamation and harassment they endured.
The court explicitly stated that the state is free to recover
this compensation amount from the specific police officers responsible (SI P.
Biju and ASIs Yogesh and T. Unnikrishnan).
The court noted that this award does not prevent Thajudheen
from pursuing further civil lawsuits against the officers for larger damages.
On May 2023, my book, in collaboration with Thajudheen,
called ‘The Stolen Necklace’ was published by HarperCollins detailing the
trauma that he and his family went through.
Asaf Ali told me recently that he had submitted the book to
the judge among many other materials.
He feels the book played a role in this judgement. So, I am
happy I was able to play a role.
Here’s what chief sub editor and senior reporter Ronnie
Kuriakose wrote in The New Indian Express:
A 2023 book, The Stolen Necklace by former TNIE staffer
Shevlin Sebastian, depicting the travails of Thajudheen, played its part in the
case. “The book was submitted in court to make the point that the incident was
no ordinary arrest, but one that gained national media attention.
It presented the telltale circumstances of the incident. And
from my understanding, the court did appreciate what it conveyed,” Asaf Ali
said.
On this, Thajudheen said, "I’m glad that the book, which
tells my story, has helped." He also recalled sitting down with Shevlin to
write. “We met every day for six months. He used to come with a flask of hot
tea, and we’d sit for hours poring over the notes in discussions. Recalling
some memories even brought tears to my eyes,” Thajudheen said.
Later, in 2022, the book was pitched to publishers and
received positive responses. “It did well, but I did not imagine it would make
its way to my defence in court as well,” he added.
The book, in addition to narrating the incident, also charts
Thajudheen life, his aspirations, and how it was all derailed because of a
single day. “It’s my life story. My past, present, and a robbed future,”
Thajudheen concluded.
Speaking to TNIE on the development, the writer Shevlin said,
“I’m so happy. Thajudheen’s whole life had come to a juddering halt because of
the incident. This verdict is the first ray of light in his life after so long.
I also think it will be a deterrent to police offices and put a stop to their
excesses. I’m happy the book played a small role.”
May thanks to the Kerala media for extensive coverage of this
ruling in print, online, radio and TV.
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