Chandrakant, a traffic police constable attached to Traffic Station I in Kalaburagi city, has made an attempt to end his life by consuming poison for being harassed by his senior officials.
Chandrakant has been admitted to Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) for treatment.
After the incident, a video has been circulating on social media in which a Head Constable identified as Bheema Naik is seen expressing his intense loathing of the police brutality and requested higher officials to curb the prevailing collection culture in the department and to stop harassing lower-rung officials and police personnel by setting a monthly target of collecting bribe from the people.
In the video, Mr. Naik has said that Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sudha Aadi harassed police constables for not achieving the collection targets. He said that the officials from the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police to Police Sub-Inspector are hand-in-glove with those involved in illegal sand mining and selling illicit liquor.
Corrupt officials are working in the same police station for more than 15 years. The government should either transfer all officers working in the same place for a long period or transfer all the police constables, Mr. Naik stated.
“I don’t care even if the department issues my suspension order. As per the Karnataka Civil Service Rules, I am not supposed to come before the media. But the torture and harassment by senior officials have crossed the limits. If these officials continue to work in the same police station, the days are not far when all of us [police constables] make attempts to end our life,” Mr. Naik has said.
Mr. Naik, speaking to The Hindu, said that the officials used to harass them for petty issues. “The officials mark us absent if we are five minute late for duty,” he has said.
Citing examples of some incidents, he has said that most of the senior police officers are hand-in-glove with rowdy elements and they threaten constables not to interfere in their matters.
“Let the government pay salaries and we will stay back home, so that the officials can continue their activities with the miscreants openly. We have complained to higher officers several times, but they have not responded. The department will remain a mute spectator even if we are killed in broad daylight. Many police constables are suffering, but they don’t have the guts to come before the media,” Mr. Naik added.
As per a government order of July 3, the victim, Chandrakant, who was attached to Traffic Police Station I, has been transferred to Farhatabad Police Station.
(Those in distress or having suicidal tendences can call Arogya Sahayavani on Ph: 104 for help.)
