How do I file a complaint against a Thiruvananthapuram police officer before the state police complaint authority?

Detailed Legal Analysis

A complaint against a Thiruvananthapuram police officer for serious misconduct such as custodial violence, extortion, or harassment can be filed before the State Police Complaint Authority constituted under Kerala Rent Control Act 1963. The complaint should be in the prescribed format, setting out the date, time, place, names of the officers, and the alleged act, and it should be supported by any medical or documentary evidence.

The Kerala High Court has held that the Authority must inquire independently and recommend departmental action or prosecution, and that the state cannot shield officers by merely holding an internal inquiry. If the Authority delays or does not take up your complaint, you can approach the Kerala High Court for a writ directing time-bound inquiry.

Send the complaint by registered post and retain the acknowledgment, and simultaneously inform the State Human Rights Commission for parallel monitoring.