Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur

Puttur, Oct 18: Two traffic police officers in Puttur have been suspended from duty after a video showing them allegedly abusing and assaulting an auto driver went viral on social media, sparking widespread public outrage.

The incident occurred on the evening of Friday, October 17, near Darbe, along the main road connecting to the Mani–Mysuru highway. In the viral footage, the officers are seen intercepting the auto, using abusive language, and physically assaulting the driver while questioning whether he was recording the incident on his mobile phone.

Following the social media backlash, the Puttur Traffic police department confirmed that ASI Chidananda Rai and CPC 2283 Shail M K have been suspended from duty pending an investigation.

According to the department’s statement, the driver – identified as Bashir, a resident of Kuria village – was operating an auto while wearing a uniform, which raised suspicion. The officers claimed they signalled him to stop using a hand gesture, but he allegedly sped away, violating the Motor Vehicles Act.

They pursued the vehicle, stopped it, and confronted the driver. However, the aggressive behaviour captured in the video – including the use of foul language and physical assault – prompted immediate action by senior officials.

In contrast, the driver told media outlets that he had parked his auto near the bypass road in Darbe and was speaking on his phone when the officers approached him and stopped their bike in front of his vehicle. He then crossed the road divider and proceeded towards Ashwini Circle. The officers followed and intercepted him near a college, where they allegedly verbally abused and assaulted him without provocation.

“You recording on mobile, is it?” one officer is heard shouting in the video, which quickly circulated across platforms, drawing sharp criticism from the public.

The driver was reportedly taken to the police station, where he was threatened with legal action and told to hand over his mobile phone. He later visited the deputy superintendent of police (DySP) office, where he lodged a verbal complaint and sought medical treatment at a government hospital for injuries sustained during the alleged assault.

After the complaint, authorities assured him that his auto rickshaw – which had been seized – would be returned.