Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed has assured that the way police officers mis-handled an elderly woman at an opposition protest which has sparked public outcry, will be looked into.

The case came into the spotlight after officers of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) manhandled an elderly woman during a rally staged on Sunday evening as part of the series of protests held by the opposition coalition comprising of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC), voicing to free their leader, former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who is now serving a jail sentence.

Videos showing two police officers running towards a group of female protestors at the protest and how they acted in arresting an elderly woman has since been circulating on social media.

The video in question shows the woman being seized by the two officers while she was running. The officers then snatched the flag she is seen holding and are seen dragging her away.

Posting videos and photos of the incident on social media, some social media users have been passing around comments asserting that police officers mustn’t be so cruel.

Some members of the People’s Majlis have also expressed their concern with regard to the matter, with MP for Madaveli constituency Hussain Firushan condemning police actions, via a Twitter post.

MP for north-Maafannu constituency, Imthiyaz Fahmy questioned why police officers were chasing after an elderly woman, to arrest her, as she was expressing her opinions and thoughts .

Former Defence Minister and President of the Maldives National Party (MNP) and current MP For Dhangethi constituency, Mohamed Nazim also took to Twitter, asserting that arresting protestors using undue force and harassing senior citizens at political rallies, proves that there is no transparency within the authority.

At a time the police institution has come under fire following the incident, Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed has taken to Twitter, assuring the public that , the way officers handled an elderly woman at Sunday’s protest was “of concern” and that it “will be looked into”.

This also comes at a time PPM attorneys have been throwing accusations that officers have been “snatching people and dragging them away” without any legal conduct.

The opposition’s lawyers have also claimed that they will forward the case to the National Integrity Commission (NIC) as well as the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).