Bengaluru: 2 cops suspended for harassing couple over late night walk

Bengaluru police have suspended two of their personnel for allegedly harassing a couple walking on the street on Friday late at night.

The incident came to light after the victim, Karthik Patri, a resident of Manyata Tech Park shared his ordeal on Twitter and tagged the Bengaluru police commissioner and City police.

In a series of tweets, he mentioned that he along with his wife were returning home after attending a friend’s cake-cutting ceremony when the Hoysala police stopped them and questioned them for strolling on the streets during the night. The police personnel allegedly harassed and demanded that they pay fine to avoid any further trouble.

Karthik tweeted, “I would like to share a traumatic incident my wife and I encountered the night before. It was around 12:30 midnight. My wife and I were walking back home after attending a friend’s cake-cutting ceremony (We live in a society behind Manyata Tech park).

We were a few metres away from our entrance gate when a pink Hoysala patrol van stopped by us. Two men in police uniforms asked us to show our ID cards. We were taken aback. Why should an adult couple walking on the street on a normal day be asked to show their ID cards?

Anyway, we had nothing on us except our phones and a box of cake. Luckily, we had photos of our Aadhar cards. We promptly showed them to them. To our surprise, they took our phones away and started quizzing us about our relationship, place of work, parental details, etc.

Though a bit shaken, we answered their questions politely. At this point, one of them took out what looked like a challan book and started noting down our names and Aadhaar numbers. Sensing trouble, we asked why we were being issued a challan.

You are not allowed to roam on the road after 11 pm, one of them retorted. Struck by the absurdity of the reason, we persisted: “Is there such a rule? We are unaware about it. Literate people like you should know about such rules, he shot back.

Although not convinced, we decided to back down. It was late in the night; our phones had been confiscated; there was no help in sight; and the least we wanted was a confrontation with two policemen.

We apologised for being ignorant about the rule and assured them of not venturing out at night again. We thought we were over it, but it was as if the two men were waiting for this moment. They refused to let us go and demanded Rs 3,000 as penalty. Our hearts sunk.

It was clear as day that the two men (tragic if they were indeed policemen) were out to con unsuspecting civilians, and we ended up being their victims. We literally begged them to let us go, but they wouldn’t budge.

They showed us pictures of convicts and threatened us of dire consequences if we didn’t pay up. I could barely hold my nerve, while my wife was in tears. Perhaps realizing that they had pushed a woman too far and fearing the legal consequences, they changed tack.

They said only I would be penalized. The man in the driving seat took me aside and advised that I pay a minimum amount to avoid further trouble. By now I was mentally drained and exhausted, my wife was terribly distressed, I didn’t want the ordeal to prolong even more.

I agreed to pay Rs 1,000 and get done with it. The man immediately held up a PayTM QR code, waited for me to scan it and make the payment, and let us ago with a stern warning: If I and my wife are ever seen walking on road at midnight, they would register a strong case.

… against us and ensure that we keep circling around the court. We couldn’t sleep that night or focus on work the next day. The whole incident has left a deep scar on our minds. It has shaken our faith in the law-enforcement agencies.”

Lastly, Kartik raised a few questions to the city police regarding the behaviour of their personnel with law-abiding citizens.

“My humble questions to the Bengaluru City Police @BlrCityPolice. Is this not terrorism, is this not legalized torture? Is this how honest, law-abiding citizens of this land are meant to be treated?

If the protectors of law themselves break the law and prey on hapless citizens, whom do we turn to? @CPBlr @PoliceBangalore,” he wrote.

Responding to the tweet, Bengaluru police took prompt action and after gathering the requisite details they suspended the police personnel.

DCP North East Anoop A Shetty tweeted, “Two police personnel from @sampigehallips responsible for the incident have been identified, suspended and departmental action initiated. @BlrCityPolice will not tolerate deviant behaviour from its staff.@DCPNEBCP @Karthik_Patri.”