Bengaluru, Jan 15 (IANS): Terming a video clip with comments that went viral in the social media as misleading, a police official on Wednesday denied that three Muslims were thrashed by patrolling cops in the citys southern suburb after being mistaken as ‘Pakistanis on refusal to reveal their identities.
"Let me first correct you. Of the three accused, only two were Muslims and one was a Hindu. When the trio, who are friends, were found shouting and screaming in the wee hours (around 2.30 a.m.) on Tuesday night beat patrolling cops stopped them and asked for their identity cards," the jurisdiction officer of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank told IANS on condition of anonymity.
According to a case filed in the local police station for causing a public nuisance, the accused were identified as Akash, Mohammed Wazir and Mohammed Shamshuddin, all in their mid-twenties.
"The accused were taken to the police station after they asked the three patrolling police personnel to first show their identity cards though they were in uniform and in a police vehicle. But the trio refused to show their identity cards, saying there was no warrant against them to prove their identity," said the ACP, who declined to be quoted by name as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Referring to the video clip uploaded on micro-blogging site Twitter, the ACP said there was no recording of the trio being thrashed or labelled as 'Pakistanis' by the beat policemen.
"The accused were warned against causing public nuisance by making noise and disturbing people in the vicinity at that odd hour. Then they were let off," the ACP said and offered to share the video clip to prove that reports about the accused being beaten up as 'Pakistanis' in the social media were false.