BENGALURU: Two police personnel of Ashoknagar traffic police station are about to learn a lesson on the consequences of abusing authority to harass innocent citizens. Using a handy mobile camera and social media, two motorists have spread word about their alleged bullying.
The cops are under the scanner for allegedly using abusive language against the two motorists, slapping them and imposing a fine without any cause. And all this while one of them was allegedly under the influence of alcohol on duty.
A Twitter user Darshan Barapatre (@ImDarshan12) posted a video on Twitter, shot at Richmond Road around 9 pm on Saturday. It first shows a police personnel, who was later identified as Head Constable Ramakrishna, abusing Darshan and his friend, with insults directed at them for being migrants to the city. “You outsiders, you will die if I hit you,” Ramakrishna is heard telling them. He then takes their picture using his phone.
Another policeman, Assistant Sub-inspector Muniyappa, is in the process of printing out a challan. Though the duo ask him for what offence they were being penalised, in both English and Hindi, he does not respond. At this juncture, the phone shudders in Darshan’s hands, and he is heard asking Ramakrishna, “Why did you slap me?” Ramakrishna is heard asking someone to snatch the phone from which the video was being taken.
In tweets accompanying the video, Darshan alleges that Ramakrishna slapped him and they were fined `400 without being told for what offence, although both were wearing helmets and had furnished all documents required. He also alleged that one of the policemen was under the influence of alcohol, but does not specify which one.
The official Twitter handle of Bengaluru Traffic Police (@blrcitytraffic) replied to the tweet, stating that the Inspector of the police station concerned has been informed about the incident and also provided contact numbers of the officials.
A senior police official told The New Indian Express that an inquiry will be ordered into the incident and, if the officials were found guilty, action would be taken against them.
“We will try to contact the motorists since we wish to hear both versions of the incident and reach a conclusion. I myself have seen the video, and the language they have used is very wrong. It is not tolerable,” the official said.
Responding to the allegation that one of the policemen was drunk on duty, the official said Ramakrishna suffers from a speech defect, and his incoherent speech might have led the motorists to assume he was under the influence of alcohol. “As far as I know they both do not consume alcohol,” the official said.