Belagavi: A local court granted bail to CRPF commando Sachin Savant, who was allegedly thrashed, arrested and chained by two Karnataka policemen last week for reportedly violating lockdown norms by not wearing a mask at his village in the state’s northwest region, police said on Tuesday.
“Savant (27) was released after the magistrate granted him bail from judicial custody where he was remanded since his arrest on April 23 for allegedly assaulting two beat constables when they asked him why he was not wearing a mask while standing outside his home at Examba village near Sadalga town,” a police official told IANS on phone.
Sadalga in Chikkodi taluk of Belagavi district is 590 kms northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state.
“Savant’s COBRA unit officials, who were present in the court, took him to their training facility at Belagavi after he was released from the district jail,” said the official.
Savant, was at home on extended leave from the 207 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), one of the 10 elite units of the CRPF, formed for guerilla tactics and jungle warfare against Maoists.
Though the incident occurred on April 23, it came to light on Monday when a video clip on it went viral in the social media and caught the attention of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPFP headquarters in New Delhi.
State Home Minister Basvaraj Bommai on Monday ordered an inquiry into the incident after CRPF Additional Director General of Police Sanjay Arora wrote to Karnataka Director General of Police Pravin Sood for investigating it and taking action against the constables.
According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi, a scuffle broke out when Savant asked the constables who they were to question him, as he was also a jawan in the CRPF and was at home on leave.
“When the constables informed Savant that the lockdown norms were the same for all and he too had to follow, he lost his cool and assaulted the duo. He was arrested under the various IPC sections,” Nimbargi recalled.
