A police inspector and three constables were suspended in Manguluru on Monday, 25 April, pending a probe for allegedly assaulting Bajrang Dal activists at the Bajpe police station. The activists had been detained by the police for heckling a coconut vendor.
It has been alleged that two right-wing activists hailing from Kateel were abused and taken to Bajpe police station where they were assaulted by inspector PG Sandesh and three other police personnel.
The men had been taken into custody after the police received a complaint from a Muslim vendor, who said that the activists had attempted to stop him from unloading his tender coconuts at a shop in Moodbidri. The men had allegedly told the vendor, Ismail, that he was not permitted to trade there.
This comes months after the assistant commissioner of Mangaluru had evicted a few shops belonging to Muslims around the Kateel Durga Parameshwari temple. An order was also issued for the same, which was not implemented entirely. Some traders had continued operating their shops.
The police had released the two activists after a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Eshwar Kateel, reached the police station in support of the activists. Protests had been been held outside the police station after the Bajrang Dal members were detained. A protester, who had gone inside the station to talk to the police, was also allegedly assaulted, The Hindustan Times reported, citing an official.
The Bajrang Dal activists later alleged that they were harassed and beaten inside the police station. Following the allegations, Mangalore Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar ordered the suspension of Bajpe police inspector PG Sandesh and three others. A departmental inquiry against them is underway.
Meanwhile, condemning the suspension of the police officers, Congress leader DK Shivakumar said, "They (BJP-led state government) want all police officers to act like their karyakartas."
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