BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court declined to quash the criminal proceedings against seven police officials, including a DySP, in relation to a case registered for alleged misuse of power and high-handedness a decade ago, with regard to the illegal detention of an innocent person and subjecting him to physical torture in Chikkaballapur district.
Justice HP Sandesh rejected the petition filed by DySP S Shivakumar, CID, Bengaluru; Inspector Munireddy, Mico Layout Station; Head Constables Balaji Singh, Nadhi Police Station, Anand, Gudibande Police Station, T Venkatesh, Town Police Station, and Muniyappa (retired); and Mohan, Driver, District Armed Reserve Police, Chikkaballapur district.
The accused officials are facing criminal proceedings initiated by M Janardhan (66) from Heggadahalli, Doddaballapur taluk, for allegedly taking his son into custody illegally for two days and physically torturing him, in connection with a chainsnatching case registered by them in May 2010, when they were posted at the Doddaballapur station.
Justice Sandesh said that Janardhan’s son was not identified by the complainant, and that he had not been arraigned in the case subsequent to the investigation, but he was in illegal custody of the petitioners, who subjected him to physical torture.
“When an innocent person having no criminal antecedents was taken to the police station without arrest, kept in custody illegally and subjected to torture, the act of the police cannot be termed as an act in connection with the discharge of public duty. It is nothing but the misuse of power vested with the police officials,” the judge noted.