JOIN USManjunath Babu, the assistant commissioner of police (JC Nagar subdivision), misused his power by assaulting the owner of a restaurant in RT Nagar, North Bengaluru, around midnight on November 9, a departmental inquiry has found.
Rajeev Shetty, the owner of Shetty Lunch Home, Dinnur Main Road, was repeatedly caned by the officer, who was furious that the eatery remained open until late night. The CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media, forcing the City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar to order a departmental inquiry under the jurisdictional deputy commissioner of police (north), Chethan Singh Rathor.
In a three-page report submitted to the commissioner on Monday, Rathor held that Babu did make a mistake by assaulting the restaurant owner and sought disciplinary action against him.
"The report has been prepared after recording the statements of the ACP, the constable who accompanied him, the hotel owner, his staff and eyewitnesses. It has been proved that Babu assaulted the restaurant owner without any reason. The report has been submitted to the commissioner for further action," Rathor told DH.
The commissioner, for his part, said he was yet to get the report.
"Action will be initiated against the ACP after verifying the report," Kumar said.
What's there in the report?
The report states that the ACP and the constable entered the restaurant at 11.56 pm and asked Shetty to close it as it was too late. Shetty replied that the government permits that the restaurant can remain open until 1 pm.
Babu got angry at the reply and started caning him, while the constable chased customers out of the restaurant.