Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 19: Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has penalized a police inspector, a sub-inspector and a constable for abusing their power. Holding them guilty of unprovoked and wrongful assault, besides asking them to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 to the two victims of their brutality, the commission has asked the state government to take stringent action against the two. The fine amount has to be borne by three police personnel from their own pockets.

The policemen held guilty in the incident happen to be sub-inspector Murali, and constable Lokesh, both from Banaswadi police station here and police inspector Munikrishna. On July 28 last year, when Satish from Lingarajapuram was at his gas stove repair shop, at around 5.30 pm, the above two police personnel came to his shop and sought to check documents pertaining to his two-wheelers. Both were then attached to Hoysala patrol vehicle.

Satish immediately presented papers connected with one vehicle and sought to bring documents of the other vehicle which were kept at his home. The policemen began to attack him. His son, Samson, who came to the shop then, was also brutally beaten up by the police. Both of them were then put into a vehicle and taken to police station. On the way too, they were hit again and again. Allegedly, Satish was disrobed and his valuables were taken away.

When the wife and daughter of Satish pleaded with the police to spare him, the police misbehaved with them too. The victims friends who came to the police station later, admitted both the victims into a hospital. Satish's wife, Pauline, filed complaint with KSHRC seeking action against the policemen concerned. After KSHRC ordered an investigation, the deputy superintendent of police, in a report filed in February this year, said that the policemen were attached to Hoysala patrol duty and were not authorized to check vehicle documents. They found that the police were wrong in visiting the shop and inflicting serious injuries on the father-son duo.

But when explanation was sought, both the policemen termed the charges as false. Banaswadi police inspector Munikrishna D H, had closed the case without investigating the complaint filed against the police.

During the hearing on November 14 this year, member of the commission, KB Changappa, found that the policemen had violated rules in attacking the victims. He also directed the chief secretary in home department to pay compensation of Rs 25,000 each to both the victims within a month, and recover the same from salary payable to inspector Munikrishna, sub-inspector Murali, and constable Lokesh. He also ordered for a detailed investigation against all three of them.