JOIN USSpecial Public Prosecutor M S Shyamsundar was the choice of pub brawl victim L Vidwath's father J Loganathan.
In a letter to Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha, Loganathan - Loki to his friends - said he had faith neither in the police nor in the state prosecutor. The letter, copy of which was seen by DH, was written hours before the prime suspect, Mohammed Haris Nalapad, and six of his associates were produced before a local court. Loganathan has marked copies of his letter to the additional chief secretary, principal secretary (home affairs) and the Directorate of Prosecution.
"I have clear information that the police were counting beans to register the case in a proper form and were showing clear concession yielding to their influence. The state prosecutor may come under the heavy pressure of influence and clout and many not be able to prosecute the matter effectively and therefore, it is necessary that a special prosecutor be appointed in this matter to prosecute the case till the end (sic)," he wrote.
He then suggested Shymasundar's name. "They will abide by the terms of the government and we request for the immediate consideration of the matter (sic)."
Loganathan said Nalapad, "flashing his authoritarianism and territorial supremacy, simply picked up a quarrel with my son on Saturday at Farzi Cafe and inhumanly assaulted him without even bothering to the fact that he was already injured. Not limiting to beating my son both at the cafe and car parking of UB City, the accused persons have even chased and followed my son to the hospital where he was being given emergency treatment and even tried to assault him there, which shows he clearly intended to kill my son and certainly feels that they are above (the) law and can get away scot-free (sic)."
He continued: "It is needless to state that the audacity of the accused in mainly due to the fact that his father being a local MLA from the ruling party at present and also has dense clout in the government with strong hold in the city of Bengaluru (sic)."
The Cubbon Park police station, where the case was registered, falls in the Assembly constituency of N A Haris, Nalapad's father.
How cops shielded Nalapad every step of the way
* Took nearly four hours to register the FIR, that too after a senior police officer lambasted the then Cubbon Park police inspector.
* Invoked IPC section 307 (attempted murder) only after media coverage.
* Did not arrest Nalapad even 37 hours after the incident and waited for him to surrender. It's not clear how the other six suspects were arrested.
* Sent all journalists out of the courtroom when Nalapad was produced on Wednesday.
* Allowed Nalapad to shake hands with his supporters in the court corridor.
* Until now, police have not released to the press the photographs of the suspects, something they do in case of even small assault or robbery.