Traffic assistant SI suspended for assaulting hotel owner

An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) attached to the City Market traffic police station was suspended on Tuesday for manhandling the owner of a hotel in Chamarajpet.

ASI Hanumantharayappa was suspended by his senior officers after they conducted an inquiry and found that the ASI had “lost his patience” and there was a lapse in his professional conduct, a senior police officer said.

Hanumantharayappa received a grievance call from a resident, Narayanaswamy, who complained that there were two motorcycles parked in front of the gate of his house on Chamarajpet 1st main, near Sai Cafe. The officer went to the spot and towed away both the motorcycles.

The cafe owner then followed Hanumantharayappa to the police station and argued with him that he had not parked the vehicles in a no-parking zone.

The cafe owner  also informed the assistant sub-inspector that Narayanaswamy had complained to him (the ASI) after a fight over trivial issues, only to cause inconvenience to him (cafe owner).

The ASI, who lost his temper, roughed up Hanumantharayappa behind the police station. A few passers-by had recorded the incident on their mobile phones and then uploaded the footage on social media.

When the footage came to the notice of senior police officers, they conducted an inquiry into the incident and suspended the assistant sub-inspector.