Kolar, Jun 6 (DHNS): Bethamangala police sub-inspector Govindu and his team roughed up a retired sub-inspector and his wife in full public glare at Kurubarapete in the town on Friday.

Sources said an attempt-to-murder case had been registered at the Bethamangala police station against Munikrishnappa, the retired PSI. Munikrishnappa had absconded fearing arrest and, on Friday, Govindu came to know Munikrishanappa was at his Kurubarapete house.

The police personnel arrived at his house for arresting Munikrishnappa. Since he resisted arrest, the policemen dragged him out of his house and attempted to bundle him into the police jeep. At this stage, Premakumari, the wife of Munikrishnappa, intervened and prevented the police from arresting her husband.

“The police roughed me up and my wife. They tore my wife’s saree and snatched her chain. On hearing the commotion, the neighbours rushed out of their houses and tried to intercept the police jeep. The police threw me out of the vehicle,” Munikrishnappa told Deccan Herald. He said Nataraj, a constable, had snatched the chain of his wife. He also claimed that no case had been registered against him.

Premakumari alleged that Govindu had taken a bribe of Rs five lakh from a person named Govindappa, who had lodged a false complaint against her husband. She said Govindu had threatened to arrest Munikrishnappa on earlier occasions, too.

However, PSI Govindu had his own version. He claimed that he had been to the house of Munikrishnappa, a fifth accused in an attempt-to-murder case, and the latter, along with his wife and neighbours, obstructed him from discharging his duties.

He said Munikrishnappa and his relatives had attempted to murder aperson by name Govindappa in connection with a land dispute and Govindappa was now in coma. Complaint and counter-complaint have been lodged at the Kolar town police station.