BELAGAVI: A recent assault on a 68-year-old former soldier allegedly by personnel of the Nandagad Police Station has triggered widespread condemnation across Khanapur taluk.
Channamallappa Kumbar of Chikkamunavalli village was allegedly beaten and kicked in public after the police stopped him for not wearing a helmet while riding his two-wheeler.
Eyewitnesses said Channamallappa was going from Chikkamunavalli to Bhuranaki, and police conducting vehicle checks on the Belagavi–Talaguppa state highway near Beedi village signalled him to stop. When he tried to ride on, a policeman grabbed his shirt, leading to a verbal altercation.
The situation escalated quickly, and the police reportedly dragged him to the centre of the road and kicked him with their boots. Locals rushed him to a hospital for treatment.
The video of the assault went viral on social media. As news about the incident spread, members of the Beedi Village Ex-Servicemen’s Association accompanied Channamallappa to the Nandagad police station to file a complaint. They staged a protest outside the station, demanding accountability and action against the cops involved.
Inspector Ravikumar Dharmatti apologised to Channamallappa on behalf of the department. Following the apology, the protest was withdrawn, and Channamallappa returned home without filing a complaint.
