CoBRA commando arrest: SI suspended in Karnataka

Team Udayavani, Apr 30, 2020, 3:42 PM IST

Belagavi: A police sub-inspector has been suspended in connection with alleged ill-treatment of a CRPF jawan for ‘violating’ lockdown norms in Belagavi district, days after the paramilitary force took up the issue with the state police chief.

Anil Kumar, attached to the Sadalga station, was suspended pending inquiry for not handling properly the case related to the arrest of CoBRA commando Sachin Sawant in Examba village, police said on Thursday.

According to police, the CRPF jawan was arrested after he allegedly picked up a quarrel with constalbes on patrol duty and attacked one of them when they questioned him sitting in a public place along with his friends without wearing masks as required under the lockdown rules on April 23.

A video showing the constables beating up Sawant and parading him barefoot and later keeping him handcuffed and chained at the Sadalga station went viral, prompting CRPF Additional Director General of Police Sanjay Arora write to Karnatka DGP and an inquiry was ordered.

“We have suspended the sub-inspector of that police station for not handling the case properly.He is the in-charge of the police station and is responsible for anything happening there,” Inspector General of police-Northern Range Raghavendra Suhas told reporters on Thursday.

Sawant was arrested and produced before a court which had initially remanded him to judicial custody but later granted conditional bail on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police of Belagavi district Laxman Nimbargi had defended the arrest of Sawant, saying he had quarrelled with the constables and even punched one of them.

Police claimed Sawant was handcuffed and chained because he was violent.

State Director General of Police Praveen Sood had ordered an inquiry into the incident.