Karnataka Eight police officers, accused of “beating the 50-year-old mentally challenged person to death” in Karnataka’s Kodagu district for violating lockdown standards, were suspended on Sunday.
A report was sent from a senior police officer following a complaint in relation to the case. The suspension order was issued. The incident occurred near Virajpet Police Station during the late days of June 9 in Karnataka Southern Range, Inspector General of the Police (IGP) Praveen Madhukar Pawar, said.
“Based on a preliminary report, the decision was taken to suspend eight policemen. It helps to ensure that the case is investigated fairly and impartially,” said the Indian Express.
The suspended police officers have been identified as Chief Constable M U Sunil and police agents N S Lokesh, H J Tanukumar, N H Satsish, Sunil M L, Ramesh A, K G Nehru and B T Pradeep.
They have all been posted in Virajpet. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Virajpet submitted the report against the cops allegedly involved in the incident. IGP Pawar said that it had requested the DSP report on the basis of the defendant’s brother’s complaint.
The complaint was told by one other police officer that the deceased had Identified as Roy D’Souza (50) – admitted as ‘precarious’ to hospital following an alleged assault of the police officers for enforcing lockdown regulations on 9 June.
The incident happened in the vicinity of a fuel station outside the police station. The complaint against the police officers stated that after the incident D’Souza was taken to the police station and was supposedly roughed up.
“D’Souza collapsed into the ground after his assault in the police station and his mother was called to take her son away.
The family then decided to admit D’Souza to a neighbouring private treatment hospital where on 12 June he had his last breath.” However, a police officer claimed that it was D’Souza, not the cops, who was the aggressor.
“D’Souza was stopped by on-duty cops for violating lockdown norms,” he said. D’Souza then stabbed a constable in the hand with a sharp object. After receiving three stitches, the officer (PC Sangamesh Shivapura) is now being treated.
D’Souza had also stormed into the police station, threatening to attack the officers.” The case has now been handed over to the Karnataka Crime Investigation Department for further investigation (CID).
“The Bengaluru CID team has already arrived. In the coming days, they will conduct more interrogations and follow other proper procedures to complete the investigation,” IGP Pawar said.
