Traffic sub-inspector T.R. Srinivas, attached to High Grounds police station was on Thursday evening allegedly manhandled, abused and humiliated by a local politician and his supporters in full public view. He incurred the wrath of the politician for levying a fine for violation in a no-parking zone on the busy Nehru Circle Junction in Seshadripuram.
Earlier the same day, the sub-inspector had been transferred to the investigation wing from the enforcement wing for penalising drivers of ministers for traffic violations.
In the evening, Mr. Srinivas was on duty at Nehru Circle Junction. He noticed a high-end car parked on the footpath right under a no-parking signboard. It was hindering the flow of traffic.
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He instructed a woman home guard to ask the driver to move the vehicle. The driver refused. Mr. Srinivas then asked the driver to produce his driving licence. The driver, along with two others, got out of the vehicle. One among them identified himself as Shivaswamy Gowda and claimed to have contested the Assembly elections against JD (S) leader Revanna.
Mr. Srinivas told The Hindu , “He told me not to levy a fine and not to ask the driver to produce DL.” According to his complaint at Seshadripuram police station, Mr. Gowda allegedly asked the officer to leave the place or face dire consequences even as curious onlookers gathered around.
When an undeterred Mr. Srinivas went ahead and issued a notice, Mr. Gowda and his supporters allegedly roughed him up and abused him. Mr. Srinivas called the control room for reinforcements and later went to a nearby hospital for treatment. His complaint accused Mr. Gowda and others of criminal intimidation, assault and preventing a government servant from discharging his duty.
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