Haveri: Seven police officers, including a sub-inspector have been booked on Thrusday for their alleged ‘filmi-style’ excesses on a person accused of selling liquor illegally and his mother.
The sub inspector and six constables attached to the Hanagal police station in Haveri district allegedly barged into 34-year-old Ramanna Shivaputrappa Suttakoti’s house and assaulted him and his mother. They also set his bike on fire.
According to a complaint filed by former minister C M Udasi, the police were acting on directions from an MLA. The complaint filed with Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi, however, does not mention the name of the MLA.
As the charges levelled against police were found to be true during an inquiry conducted by Lokayukta police, Justice Adi on May 21 sent a report to the Secretary to Home Department and DG and IGP Om Prakash for action to be taken by June 15.
In compliance with this report, an FIR was registered on June 14 against Hanagal PSI Mahadeva Eligar, who is now on official duty (OOD) at Agumbe, Dafedar Poojara and five district armed reserve police constables at Hanagal police station, based on Ramanna’s complaint.
They were booked for unlawful assembly, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, mischief causing damage, trespassing, intentional insult with the intent to provoke breach of the peace and criminal intimidation. Haveri SP N Shashikumar referred the matter to Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range) on June 14 for the case to be transferred outside Haveri district so that the probe is impartial.
