BENGALURU: A traffic police constable was assaulted by a businessman in full public view, for stopping him as he was driving without wearing a seat belt and was talking over phone while driving.
The incident occurred on Sarjapur Ring Road on Thursday and came to light on Saturday after a video of the assault went viral on social media and was aired on news channels.
Constable Bheemashankar collected details of the driver Dileep and filed a complaint with Bellandur police who immediately arrested Dileep under IPC Sections 332, 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from discharging his duty) and 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty).
A senior police officer said that around 10.30 am on Thursday, Bheemashankar, attached to HSR Layout traffic police, found Dileep talking on the phone while driving his car and also not wearing seat belt. He stopped the vehicle and asked him not to speak over phone while driving.
Dileep, a furniture shop owner, got angry and hurled abuses at him for stopping his car. He then stepped out of his car, got a heavy stick from the boot and assaulted Bheemashankar. Two locals intervened and questioned Dileep, but he escaped from the scene. A few passerby also recorded the incident and uploaded the video on social media.