JOIN USIn an act of alleged high-handedness by the police, two traffic cops on duty assaulted a biker who reportedly refused to pay a fine of Rs 500 for not wearing the helmet on Sunday afternoon.
The incident sparked off a huge protest by an angry crowd which disrupted traffic for over two hours on the busy KR Puram main road (National Highway 4).
It all started when Syed Imran, his mother Kausarunnisa and younger brother Syed Irshad, all residents of Devasandra, were riding a bike on their return from a relative’s funeral.
As they neared the Vengaiah lake in KR Puram, assistant sub-inspector (traffic) Mahadevaiah and constable Chandrashekar flagged their bike down since Imran was not wearing a helmet. Besides, they were triple-riding, which is against the traffic rules.
The policemen asked Imran to pay a fine of Rs 500 for violating traffic rules, but he started arguing with them and reportedly refused to pay the fine. One of the policemen then allegedly smashed him on the head with his walkie-talkie and also struck him with a cane, the police said.
Imran’s younger brother then called his relatives. Meantime, a crowd of motorists and passersby gathered at the spot, condemning the assault by the police.
Imran’s relatives also reached the spot soon, and with the crowd’s help, blocked the NH 4, demanding immediate action against the policemen, said a police officer.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East) B Rajendra Prasad and other senior officers reached the spot and pacified the protesters. Prasad asked the protesters to come to the KR Puram traffic police station and promised to resolve the issue.
After a preliminary inquiry, Mahadevaiah and Chandrashekar were suspended with immediate effect, a senior officer said.
The officer said that it would be investigated what triggered such a strong reaction by the policemen, and decision taken accordingly.