Police personnel, family members stage a protest in Chikkamagaluru.
Credit: DH Photo
Chikkamagaluru: The case pertaining to the assault on advocate Preetham by the police has taken a new turn.
Condemning the arrest of police constable Guruprasad in connection with the assault, police personnel along with family members staged a protest throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The protesters demanded the release of Guruprasad and also to book a case against advocate Preetham.
The protest was withdrawn on Sunday after the constable was released and a case was registered against the advocate.
On the allegations of assault on advocate Preetham who was riding bike without helmet on November 30 night, Superintendent of Police Dr Vikram Amate had suspended PSI Mahesh Poojaru, ASI Ramappa, head constable Shashidar, constables Guruprasad, B K Nikhil and V T Yuvaraj. Advocates had demanded the arrest of all the police personnel and had staged a protest.
The High Court of Karnataka had even taken up a suo motu PIL petition in the case pertaining to the alleged assault on an advocate by the Chikkmagaluru town police on December 1.
The family members of suspended police personnel on Saturday (December 2) had staged a protest. On Saturday late night, the police had arrested constable Guruprasad. As the news of the arrest of a police constable began to spread, hundreds of family members and police personnel gathered in front of Chikkamagaluru Town Police station and sat on a dharna.
They alleged that advocate Preetham had slapped a policeman. The protesting police personnel demanded justice. Later, they continued the dharna by stopping vehicles on Hanumanthappa Circle.
IGP (western range) Chandragupta rushed to the spot and tried to convince the protesting police personnel to withdraw their protest. Even the Superintendent of Police too tried to convince the protesting police to withdraw the protest. A large number of police personnel from various parts of the district had arrived to express their solidarity with the protest. They expressed their displeasure by burning lathi.
Finally the police officers brought arrested Guruprasad to the venue in the wee hours of Sunday and released him. However, they continued the protest and demanded an FIR against Advocate Preetham for slapping police and also against other advocates for disrupting police personnel from discharging their duty.
Finally, the protest was withdrawn after a case was booked against Advocate Preetham and another case against seven advocates for trying to disrupt the police personnel from discharging their duty.