Acclaimed Malayalam director accused of stalking presents two sides of cops

Chennai, July 17 A day after announcing he had decided to withdraw from filmmaking until his innocence is proven in a case filed by an actress against him, well-known Malayalam film director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has expressed empathy for police personnel, who, he says are compelled to obey “the unlawful orders of their corrupt superior officers”.

Taking to Instagram to share his thoughts on police personnel, the director wrote, “I can clearly understand the moral dilemma of the police in carrying out the mindless orders of the dirty politicians.

“I have seen myself the helplessness of the police constables while I was arrested and kept in custody for a night. They are compelled to obey the unlawful orders of their corrupt superior officers knowing that what they do are illegal and injustice.

“When I rejected the police demand to avail bail at midnight from the police station and stood adamant, unabated by their threat, some officers asked a constable to keep me in custody with handcuffs on.

“Even though I was laughing at myself for the funny things I was going through in the name of love, it was quite uneasy to spend a whole night sleeping on the dirty floor of the station with handcuffs blocking my hands.

“When I requested the constable to remove the handcuffs and argued that I am not anyway going to run away from the safety of the station-room guarded by CCTV, he said, ‘sir, I have a family and two kids. I can’t help you because I am bound to obey the orders. Moreover, it is for your safety that you are locked in handcuffs. Only I have the key and your safety is now my responsibility. As long as I am alive nobody will touch you without my permission. This, I promise you.’

“I could see a genuine feeling of compassion in his eyes. Even though it was difficult to sleep in that uncomfortable position with my right hand locked to the leg of a table, I slept peacefully trusting that person. I remembered this guy while I saw on television, a police officer throwing his uniform away and joining the protesters in Sri Lanka.

“Mindless politicians will always misjudge the human feelings inside the police uniforms and feel safe thinking that they can quench all the protests against their corrupt regime using police force until the power of human compassion bursts out and joins hands.”