Inquiry report on 'harassment' of truck driver to be out soon

CID DySP is accused of assaulting, threatening to slap charges against driver

The West Division police will soon submit a report of a departmental inquiry against CID Deputy Superintendent of Police M L Purushottam. The inquiry into charges of bribery, assault and threatening is in the final stage and the report is expected to be submitted to Bangalore City Police Commissioner M N Reddi in a few days, DCP (West) Labhu Ram told Deccan Herald.

“We are waiting for a couple of persons to appear before us to record their statements. We expected them to record their statements, but they did not turn up despite warnings. We have served notices on them to appear and record their statements. They are likely to record statements shortly,” he added.

Asked if the inquiry conducted so far has proved the charges, the DCP said that nothing could be said at this stage as two more persons were yet to record their statements.

Purushottam allegedly demanded bribe from a truck owner besides assaulting and threatening him, when he was the Kalasipalya police station inspector. He was recently promoted and he assumed charge as DySP of CID.

“As per the direction of the Bangalore City Police Commissioner, I will submit a report to him, including recommendations. The commissioner will forward them to the top authorities of the police wing concerned,” Labhu Ram said.

The DySP is learnt to have demanded bribe besides threatening the victim. The DGP (CID) would be requested to initiate disciplinary action recommended by the City police, sources said.

DG&IGP, L R Pachuau, had directed the then City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar to order a departmental inquiry against Purushottam after receiving a complaint by Tameem Khan, who owns and operates a truck. Khan had claimed that a team of policemen had forcibly taken him in a police patrol vehicle (Hoysala) when he was standing near a mosque in Mavalli around 2.45 pm on June 2 and brought him to the police station, claiming that they wanted to interrogate him.

They abused and kicked Khan when he pleaded innocence. Purushottam demanded Rs one lakh for not registering a case against him. He asked Khan to get the money by 11 am on June 3. But when the former expressed his helplessness citing his wife’s pregnancy, Purushottam got furious and said he would slap several charges against him and ensure he was sent to jail, Khan had claimed in the complaint.

The police assaulted him at the station and he was hospitalised for two days. He found it difficult to speak and move as the inspector had hit Khan on his back and chest, which had caused internal bleeding. The police harassed his wife Reshma in his absence. She developed complications since she was eight months pregnant as her blood pressure shot up after the incident, he had claimed.

Khan also claimed that some policemen even threatened to get Reshma killed in an encounter.

His family had taken shelter in a mosque as the local policemen had “terrorised” them, Khan had stated in the complaint and had sought protection from Purushottam and his men.