Police accused of beating up Puttur boy for alleged theft

February 23, 2011

Mangalore, February 23: Officials of the Kadaba Police Station in Puttur taluk allegedly beat up a minor on February 6 evening after taking him to the station for “questioning” with regard to theft of rubber sheets. He has since filed a complaint with the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission.

Mohammed Ashraf was playing cricket with his friends on the morning of February 6, a Sunday, when the police reportedly came to the grounds in Golthady, and took him to Kadaba Police Station for questioning.

Ashraf was suspected to have stolen rubber sheets from a rubber plantation where he had been working for two weeks before the incident. At the police station, they questioned him from around 10.30 a.m. to around 3.30 p.m. Four officials, including the sub-inspector, then took him to a cell and started beating him up, Ashraf said.

“Three of the officials held my legs down and the sub-inspector beat me on the soles of my feet with a lathi,” he said in the complaint and added that he repeatedly told them that he did not steal rubber sheets.

“They poured petrol on my private parts and threatened to set me on fire. I confessed to a crime I did not commit to save my life,” Ashraf said in the complaint. The next morning, the police took him to the shop where he said he had sold the sheets, Ashraf said. The complaint states that the police made Ashraf, his mother, and his aunt sign blank sheets of paper. They let him go home around 6.30 p.m. on Monday.

Ashraf's elder brother Illyas said that they could not take him to the hospital on Monday as Kadaba is 25 km from Puttur. There were no buses in the evening, he said.

On Tuesday morning, Ashraf was admitted to a private hospital in Puttur. Superintendent of Police A.S. Rao said the boy was not beaten up by the police. The police kept an eye on Ashraf in connection with property theft and he had been taken for questioning which lasted a few hours and handed him over to his parents the same evening.

The boy did not say anything that evening.

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Probe will reveal if ‘outsiders’ belonging to banned-PFI involved in Mandya violence: Home Minister

News Network

September 17,2024

Kalaburagi: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that alleged role of "outsiders" belonging to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in the violence at Nagamangala will be examined and action taken based on the probe report.

Clashes broke out between two groups during a Ganesh idol procession in the town in Mandya district following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension on September 11 night.

"Everything will be examined, investigation will be done, on getting the report we will decide. We will not protect anyone, and unnecessarily no one will be punished. We will look into the facts based on the inquiry report and take action accordingly," Parameshwara told reporters here.

He noted that two officials -- Deputy Superintendent of Police and Inspector -- have already been suspended, and added that further action will be taken based on the report.

The Minister said the government has taken the Nagamangala violence seriously and there is no question of taking such incidents lightly. "BJP makes such allegations, but we too have responsibility, we don't take anything lightly."

On allegations that "outsiders" were involved in the violence, Parameshwara said if inquiry reveals complicity of such elements, it would be examined and action taken accordingly.

Regarding claims that those belonging to the banned PFI were involved, he said: "It will be known from the probe."

On demand for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Nagamangala violence by BJP which alleged "failure" of state's home department, Parameshwara said: "they keep saying such things, we will not listen to all that."

According to police, an argument had broken out between two groups, when the procession by devotees from Badri Koppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

Following the clashes between the two groups, a few shops were vandalised and goods torched and vehicles set on fire, they added.

To allegations from some BJP leaders that the party MLA Munirathna was arrested "hurriedly", Parameshwara said, police acted after the complaint was given, "what's wrong in that?"

Munirathna, who represents Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment here, was picked up from Nangli village in Kolar’s Mulbagal on Saturday evening on charges of harassing a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor for bribe, casteist slurs on a former corporator, and also cheating, criminal intimidation and insulting a woman’s modesty.

Asked about "illegal items" seized from the prison here recently by officials, he said an investigation has begun on this.

When a photo of actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who was lodged in Parappana Agrahara Prison here, hanging out with other inmates surfaced recently, action was taken based on the probe report and eleven officials were suspended.

"I will look into recent seizures made too and action will be taken; also probe is on at other prisons in the state and action will follow if anything wrong is found," the Minister added.

Police raided the high-security wing of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison here on Saturday and seized smartphones and other illegal goods.

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