PSI sent on leave for stopping politico's car

A traffic sub-inspector, who had stopped a politician’s car to facilitate the convoy of Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala during his recent visit to the city, has found himself on a sticky wicket. 

Sathish, the sub-inspector attached to the KR Traffic police station, is said to have gone on leave for three days from Sunday, and an inquiry has been ordered into the case after the politician, who happens to be close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, made a complaint. 

DCP (Crime and Traffic) M M Mahadevaiah confirmed the incident to Deccan Herald but remained noncommittal when asked whether the police officer in question had been asked to go on leave. 

On October 10, the Governor was visiting the Mysore branch of Suttur Mutt, near the foot of Chamundi Hills, when the sub-inspector was manning traffic on Elethota Road at the intersection of Mysore-Nanjangud Road. 

Just then, a Maruti Alto car tried to break into the traffic cordon but the sub-inspector flagged it down. Seegalli Kumar, a Congress leader whose wife is a former president of Nagawala gram panchayat in Mysore taluk, was travelling with two others in the car. 

He got into a heated exchange with Sathish who, during the course of the argument, found that those in the car were drunk. He later booked the car driver, identified as Doddaswamy, for drink-driving. 

According to Mahadevaiah, Kumar made an oral complaint and accused the sub-inspector of assaulting him. An inquiry is under way to dig out the truth, he added.