A row between two junior policemen and a police sub-inspector attached to Mahadevapura station escalated into fisticuffs on Saturday night. Jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner of Police Abdul Ahad suspended the junior officers — assistant sub- inspector Amrutesh and head constable Jaikiran — and directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police to conduct a probe into the matter.
According to sources, Mr. Amrutesh and Mr. Jaikiran were part of a team led by sub-inspector Ashwath that raided an illegal gambling den at Mahadevapura on Saturday. During the raid, they seized ₹42,000 in cash and arrested 10 people involved in the gambling.
While Mr. Amrutesh and Mr. Jaikiran escorted the accused to the police station, Mr. Ashwath left to attend to some work and returned to the station two hours later only to find that they had let off all the accused without completing the formalities.
An argument ensued when Mr. Ashwath questioned them and pulled them up for a shoddy job. Mr. Amrutesh and Mr. Jaikiran verbally abused him, and the situation escalated into an all-out fight. A few locals, who were at the station to file complaints, were sent back as the rest of the police staff intervened and tried to break up the fight.
Mr. Ashwath mentioned the incident in the station house diary and also brought it to the notice of the DCP, who ordered an ACP to conduct a probe.
This incident unfolded two days after Home Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy’s surprise inspection of a few stations in the east division, where he was accompanied by Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar and other senior police officers. During the inspection he pulled up police officers for indiscipline and failure to maintain cleanliness. He also warned police personnel that disciplinary action would be taken against them if they did not perform their duty or if they indulged in corrupt practices.
