Bengaluru Police constable on duty assaulted in public glare

Two persons have been arrested

Umesh, 30, the Banaswadi traffic police constable who was assaulted by the two men on July 19. Credit: Bengaluru Traffic Police

Suleman V K, 32, a former manager at IBM and one of the accused, was arrested by the Banaswadi police on Thursday. Credit: Bengaluru Traffic Police

Fahad, 24, the second accused person in the case, was arrested by Banaswadi police on Friday. Credit: Bengaluru Traffic Police

A traffic police constable on duty was assaulted by two men for clamping their car parked in a no-parking zone in HRBR Layout on Wednesday (July 19). One of the accused has been arrested by the Banaswadi police.

Umesh, a constable working with the Banaswadi traffic police, was patrolling the area on Wednesday to check for any no-parking violations. Around 6 pm, he was on the 5th main road in HRBR Layout when he noticed a car that was parked outside an ATM in a no-parking zone. He promptly fixed a wheel clamp before moving on.

The vehicle owner and his wife were accompanied by two other people. The wife was rushed to the Trinity Gastroenterology and Liver Clinic as she was undergoing treatment for an ailment. The husband had parked the car in a no-parking zone outside an ATM on the road.

Also read: Bengaluru Police solve three-month-old murder disguised as hit-and-run

He received a call soon after. “I got a call at 6.18 pm from a man who told me that there was a medical emergency so he had parked in a hurry. He requested me to remove the clamp so I immediately went back to the spot. I didn’t even charge them for the violation because it was an emergency situation,” the injured constable Umesh told DH.

ಬಾಣಸವಾಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೋ ಪಾರ್ಕಿಂಗನಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಡಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿದನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದಕ್ಕೆ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯನಿರತ ಸಂಚಾರಿ ಪೊಲೀಸ ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿ ಮೇಲೆ ಕಮ್ರಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರಿಂದ ಹಿಗ್ಗಾಮುಗ್ಗ ಥಳಿತ, #ಸಾಬ್ರಜನಾಂಗದಶಾಂತಿಯತೋಟ pic.twitter.com/wd7BdSgoHR

— Accidental clerk (@accidental_cmo) July 20, 2023

However, Umesh was subjected to verbal abuse by the two men and women when he proceeded to remove the clamp. The altercation between the constable and the men attracted a crowd, further riling up the duo.

Without any provocation, they pummelled him, hurting his head, face and neck in full public view. One of the women, presumably the patient, tried to break up the fight but fell on the road due to weakness.

A video of the assault has gone viral on social media.

“I did not expect this to happen. I don’t know what provoked them; I even removed the clamp immediately but they must have been very frustrated and used me as an outlet for that,” said Umesh.

Umesh filed an FIR under the direction of his higher officers. He has received medication for the injuries but the swelling on the left side of his head and neck is yet to recede, he said.

Four people – two men and two women – have been mentioned in the FIR filed at the Banaswadi police station. On Thursday, police arrested Suleman, 33, a BBM graduate and resident of Govindapura who is currently unemployed, said an officer. The second accused in the case, 25-year-old Fahad, a resident of LBS nagar, was arrested on Friday afternoon by the Banaswadi police.