Bengaluru man dies after 'cops hit him on private parts'

Police have ordered an internal inquiry into the death of a man whose family has alleged that patrol cops fatally struck him on his private parts.

Balaram (37) of Sondekoppa near Madanayakanahalli died at the Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics on September 24. Balaram, who was there for a scan, told the doctors he had suffered injuries after the police attacked him, said Mallikarjun Baldandi, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru District.

Based on a complaint from Balaram's wife Sudha, police have launched an inquiry. The postmortem report is also awaited, Baldandi said. "Based on the postmortem and inquiry reports, further necessary action will be taken," he added.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage to find out if Balaram was really assaulted by policemen.

It is unclear how and when Balaram was injured. Police say he had seen doctors at three hospitals before heading to the trauma institute. And at all three places, he told doctors that he was attacked by honey bees.

According to the Madanayakanahalli police, Balaram developed swelling in the legs after the bee attack. This worsened as he ignored it.

On September 19, policemen Vijaya Kumar and Janardhan drove a Hoysala patrol car to a bar near Sondekoppa. They were dispatched there after receiving a complaint that a group of drunk people was causing a ruckus near the bar.

As soon as the siren-blaring police car reached, a group of people ran away. Kumar and Janardhan stayed there briefly to make sure there was no trouble and moved to their next assignment.

According to Balaram's wife, he was attacked by the police during this time. However, there's no evidence to support this claim, police say.

Balaram, who worked as a junior electrician, reported for work that day and the day after. But he felt uneasy on September 21, visited a clinic near Sondekoppa and told the doctor he was stung by honeybees. The doctor gave him a painkiller and he returned home.

The next morning, Balaram visited the government hospital in Nelamangala and received treatment before returning home. But in the evening, he was admitted to the same hospital. There, too, he told doctors about the bee attack. He was referred to Nimhans on September 24. He repeated the bee attack story to the doctors, who sent him to the Sanjay Gandhi hospital for a scan. It was only then that he spoke about the assault, Baldandi said, citing preliminary investigations.