Kundapur: Voters allege police brutality, polling suspended by three hours
Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, May 6: Polling had to be suspended for about three hours at the Karavali higher primary school polling booth in Neeroni ward at Maravanthe in the taluk on Sunday May 5, after voters expressed their resentment at the alleged highhandedness of a policeman.
Byndoor police circle inspector reportedly threatened Vasudeva Kharvi (25), who was returning home after casting his vote. The officer then is said to have hit Kharvi with his cane, besides manhandling his companion. The information spread like wildfire, and an environment of tension prevailed at the polling booth after the voters voluntarily stopped casting votes. As a result, polling process remained suspended.
It is said that the police circle inspector was angry at the fact that Kharvi, a KJP party worker, who was returning after voting, was within a radius of 100 meters from the polling booth. Rules demand that workers of political parties should not remain within a radius of 100 meters of the polling booths. However, though Kharvi was coming back after voting, the inspector was under the impression that Kharvi had come there to canvass for his party.
The voters stuck to their demand for the suspension of the erring police officer and initiation of legal measures against him, failing which they said they would boycott polling. Efforts to pacify them proved futile, and there was the threat of the situation going out of control. The voters remained adamant, even after Congress, BJP, and KJP candidates came on the scene and requested them to relent.
Udupi district superintendent of police, Dr Boralingaiah, visited the spot. He held talks with the voters and also the victims of the atrocity, and promised them to initiate suitable measures against the officer in question. Thereafter, polling process resumed and went on smoothly.
Injured Vasudeva Kharvi got admitted into the government hospital in Kundapur for treatment.