Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police Vikram Amathe suspended five policemen, including a sub-inspector, of Chikkamagaluru Town police station on the charge of assaulting an advocate.
Mahesh Poojari, the PSI, and his five colleagues have been suspended. A DySP has been asked to probe the case.
A police team, on night patrol, stopped advocate Preetham on Market Road for riding a bike without wearing a helmet. When the police personnel took the bike keys, the advocate questioned them.
Preetham claims that the police took him inside the police station and assaulted him so much that he fell unconscious. Preetham was admitted to a hospital.
As the news spread, many advocates staged a dharna in front of the police station. As a result, senior police officers visited the station and assured the advocates of action against the erring police personnel.
On December 1, district Superintendent of Police Vikram Amate said that that a case has been registered against six police personnel, including the Sub-Inspector of Police (PSI) and an Assistant SI, and they have been suspended pending departmental inquiry.
HC takes suo motu cognisance
On December 1, the High Court of Karnataka suo motu took cognisance of the incident. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the order and sought status of the action taken with regard to the incident.
State Advocate-General Shashi Kiran Shetty told the bench that an FIR has been registered and an Additional Director General of Police will be personally present in the court in the post-lunch session to provide the status of action taken about the incident.
Observing that it is not good development, the bench wondered what would be plight of the common man if advocates face such brutality by the police.
The bench also told members of the bar associations that it is not matter for abstaining from court proceedings.
