Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru (SP)
Chikkamagaluru, Mar 1: For flimsy reason, a person slapped rural station police sub-inspector (PSI) here, Gaviraj, on Tuesday February 28 morning at Shiragunda near Moogrihalli in the taluk. The situation in the area had turned tense, following which district superintendent of police, K Anamalai, reached the spot and took the mob to task. The police had to resort to light caning to disperse the unruly crowd.
Seven persons including Nataraj (34) from Aladagudde who allegedly slapped the PSI, Laxman Gowda (37), from Dumbigere, as well as Pushpak alias Pavan (25) from the town, H C Shashi (30) from Anoor, S N Manu (38) from Shiragunda, Raveendra (35) from Kattegadde, and M C Chetan (28) from Mattavara, all of whom have been accused of attack and creating disturbance, were taken into possession by the police. A complaint relating to the incident against 20 persons was filed in rural police station. The police personnel have been trying to take into custody five to six more persons.
Police sub-inspector of the rural station, Gaviraj, and other personnel, Nanjappa, Kumarappa, Dinesh and Rudresh, had gone to Baskal in the taluk in a private car in the early hours on Tuesday for investigation-related work. After finishing work, the car was driven towards the town by Gaviraj via Aladagudde and Shiragunda. When a car going in front abruptly stopped in the middle of the road without any signal, the car driven by Gaviraj stopped very close to that car.
A person who got down from the car started scolding Gaviraj in filthy language. He also suddenly attacked the PSI even after Gaviraj introduced himself as police sub-inspector. It is said that the man slapped the police officer, saying that in spite of being a police officer, he is helpless to do anything against the former. When his pistol fell down in this incident, the PSI reportedly picked up the pistol from the ground, at which some people accused the PSI of posing threat by pointing the pistol at the attacker. It is said that when other police personnel tried to save the PSI, they were also blocked and beaten up. A case relating to the incident stands registered in the police station here.
SP, K Annamalai, said that the department has taken the assault on PSI very seriously, and everyone including those who attacked the PSI, his supporters and others who blocked traffic will be arrested and acted against.
When the situation turned ugly, over 150 police had cordoned off the area. When Annamalai reached the spot and threatened the locals of action, many took to their heels. He took the road-blockers to task and challenged them to create traffic nuisance in his presence.
Doubts were expressed that the sand mafia, against which Gaviraj had taken stringent action, would have been behind this incident. It is said that the sand mafia had also tried to transfer him out of the rural police station. The suspicion gains strength from the fact that the car in front had suffered minimal damage in the collision and there was no cause for the car owner to become furious. The fact that the attackers continued with their attack on PSI, saying that they were aware that he was police sub-inspector, has given credence to the notion that sand mafia had supported this assault.