Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 31: In connection with a civil contempt of court petition filed by some citizens from the city, the state high court has served emergent notices to state director general of police (DGP), Rupak Kumar Dutta, and four other police officers. The petitioners have alleged that the police officers have violated directives issued by the Supreme Court.

Vidyananda Rao, his wife, Lalita V Rao, and son, Varun Rao, had filed contempt of court petition, duly aming the DGP and others as defendants. The division bench of the high court comprising Justice B S Patil and Justice Aravind Kumar, which heard the petition on Monday October 30, ordered issuance of summons. Through the emergent notices, the high court has asked DGP, Rupak Kumar Dutta, additional director general of police, Sanjay Sahai, city police commissioner, T R Suresh, city (north) police station inspector, Shantaram, and sub-inspector,Madan, seeking objections from them.

Vidyananda Rao, resident of Bondel here, has been running a jewellery shop along with his wife and son. He has been transacting with Catholic Syrian Bank since the last five years, and had borrowed against pledge of gold ornaments often from the bank depending upon his needs. He says that at around 8 pm on July 21, police inspector of north station here, and sub-inspector, barged into his house, thrashed him and his wife, forcibly took away cash and gold ornaments worth lacs of rupees from them , besides taking the couple to the police station with them. They said that they were neither shown any complaint or first information report reportedly filed against them. They were kept inside the police station for four days.

"We had complained to the director general of police, additional director general of police, and police commissioner, requesting them to take legal action against the two erring police officers. But they have not initiated any action. Therefore, we have approached the high court seeking contempt of court action against the officials who have failed to abide by the directions issued by the Supreme Court and follow the rules of law," the couple says.