A beat constable allegedly slapped and abused and even kicked a bystander in full public view on Thursday.
The policeman became violent when the victim tried to speak on behalf of a taxi driver whom the constable was trying to arrest for smoking near a roadside tea stall near the Nagarabhavi underpass.
The incident occurred when the beat policeman, identified as Manjunath, attached to the Chandra Layout police station, noticed a few persons standing and smoking near the tea stall. Manjunath stopped his patrolling bike and caught one of the taxi drivers for smoking in a public place.
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The others, who were drinking tea and smoking, disappeared from the scene, while a group of curious onlookers gathered to watch the taxi driver apologising and pleading with Manjunath to let him go.
One among the bystanders came to his rescue and asked Manjunath to excuse him this time. While Manjunath was busy talking to the bystander, the taxi driver slipped away.
Manjunath, who realised this, got wild and began to hurl abuses at the bystander. He caught the bystander by his collar and slapped him repeatedly. While the bystander was trying to explain, Manjunath even kicked him on his groin before taking him to the station with the help of a tea supplier.
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While passersby noticed the event, another bystander recorded the event on his mobile phone and then sent it to media houses.
The Chandra Layout police, when contacted, said that they were not aware of this incident.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Kamal Pant termed it an inappropriate behaviour. “I will ask the Deputy Commissioner of Police concerned to look into the matter and take disciplinary action against the constable,” he said.