The Bangalore Club seems to have decided to “end the confrontation” with IPS officer R. P. Sharma. It has “decided to drop an enquiry” into an altercation between the Club’s security guard and the IPS officer’s driver in the first week of November.
The Club had suspended the officer’s membership for a month following the incident but has now decided to “not extend the time frame of the suspension, which expires on Thursday the 18th”, according to an office-bearer.
A decision to this effect was taken following meetings of the office-bearers on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, according to sources in the club.
A member of the club’s committee told The Hindu that the decision “not to continue the confrontation with Mr. Sharma was taken as the entire episode has become an embarrassment and there has been advise from many quarters to end it.”
While no official in the club commented on the issue, Mr. Sharma told The Hindu , “I have not even received any official word of suspension of my membership in the first place. How can I presume that I was suspended or they have taken a decision to end it?”
Meanwhile, Bengaluru (urban) Deputy Commissioner V. Shankar, confirmed that Bangalore Club is yet to reply to the show cause notice issued over violations of the excise licence. Mr Shankar had suspended the licence for a month.
The Club has also not appealed against the Deputy Commissioner’s suspension order. Excise Commissioner Shambu Dayal Meena, who is the appellate authority, told The Hindu that Bangalore Club had not approached him.