Man held for ‘assaulting’ PSI who caught him smoking in public

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on the charge of attacking a 58-year-old police sub-inspector (PSI) who pulled him up for smoking in public on Friday. According to eyewitnesses, the man shoved sub-inspector Thimmaraju D. and knocked him to the ground when the latter tried to impose a fine on him. The incident took place at Jayanagar 9th Block.

When Mr. Thimmaraju saw Chandran B.S. smoking in public, he told him that he would fine him under COTPA [The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act]. “Chandran was conversing with someone on his mobile phone and told the sub-inspector to wait until he finished his call. He then asked the sub-inspector where he could smoke. When Mr. Thimmaraju repeatedly asked him to stop smoking in public, Chandran pushed him onto the ground and tried to escape,” said the police.

However, Mr. Thimmaraju chased Chandran down, caught him and alerted a Hoysala patrolling vehicle for reinforcement. The man was arrested and booked under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and section 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code. He has been remanded in judicial custody. Chandran allegedly told the police that he was an employee of a private banking firm and had been frustrated over a work-related issue when he shoved the sub-inspector.