Besides the men in khaki taking more than a few blows, the incident created nearly an hour-long traffic jam near the Cantonment underpass junction on Mission Road.

While the constable Dodda Huchappa literally took to his heels, sub-inspector V S Shashikumar braved the public wrath.

The melee was sparked off after the two policemen attached to the High Grounds traffic police, stopped a four-wheeler, KA-01-MC-7261, as its driver was seen speaking on a cell phone while driving. Mohammed Harris, the driver, was accompanied by a woman, Mubin Taj.

Shashikumar told Deccan Herald later: “My constable requested him to show his papers — driving license, RC book, insurance etc. But Harris refused to get down from the car. Instead, he spoke rudely and waved his international driving license at us. I still kept my cool, issued him a challan, asked him to pay the fine in court and collect his license later.”

“But the woman sitting next to Harris suddenly began screaming at us. Her screams and volley of abuses automatically attracted a huge crowd. Within seconds, several auto drivers and passersby assembled and joined the couple and began heckling us. The mob manhandled the constable and insisted that we fall at the couple’s feet and apologise,” Shashikumar said.

Senior police officers rushed to the spot, pacified the crowd and cleared the traffic.

Criminal cases have been registered against Harris and Taj for obstructing and assaulting policemen on duty and rioting at the High Grounds police station.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) K C Ramamurthy has also ordered a departmental inquiry headed by ACP Ishwar Prasad, against the two policemen.