LAXEMESHWAR: An angry mob vandalised a police station and set it ablaze here in Karnataka’s Gadag district Sunday, alleging the custodial death of a truck driver. They also set afire police vehicles and five seized bikes parked at the station premises.
The deceased has been identified as Shivanand Ganiger, a resident of Battur in Shirahatti taluk in the district. His relatives claim that he was detained for interrogation after he was allegedly caught transporting sand on Saturday night by Lakshmeshwara Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Devanand S and his team.
Alleging that the PSI was responsible for Ganiger's death, the family claimed that he was thrashed by the officer in the station. They said that Ganiger complained of stomach pain after reaching home in the early hours and was rushed to a hospital where he died.
However, PSI Devanand has denied his role in the incident and denies interacting with the deceased.
"I am innocent, did not take Ganiger into custody. We caught the sand truck as it did not have a valid permit, but the driver had escaped. The truck was released on the owner's request. I don't know how the truck driver died,” Devanand said.
Ruling out custodial death, Superintendent of Police Santhoshbabu K, however, admitted that there was some confusion over the incident.
In the morning, Ganiger's relatives and Battur villagers placed his body in front of the police station and staged a protest.
Police said that while some miscreants barged into the station and started ransacking it, a few others set it ablaze. When firefighters reached the spot, they were not allowed by protestors to douse the fire.
When the situation was spiralling out of control, police tried to reason with the protesters who demanded that the PSI come to the station. Later, Deputy Commissioner Manoj Jain, Haveri Superintendent of Police C Vamshi Krishna
and top policemen went to the spot and pacified the mob.
The agitators withdrew their protest only after the top brass assured them that action will be taken against the PSI and his staff. Additional forces have been deployed in the town and prohibitory orders clamped.