Mangalore: Kerala Policemen in Custody for Being Public Nuisance on Beach
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RS/CN)
Mangalore, Apr 26: Some personnel of the Kerala State Reserve Police were arrested at Panambur beach by the local police for allegedly beating women and other visitors at the beach on Saturday April 25.
At least 13 constables including head constables were arrested after they turned violent as their demand to go on a speed boat was refused.
Two policemen including one assistant sub-inspector of Panambur police station and a media photographer were injured in the incident. Some of the visitors and women who were attacked have suffered significant injuries.
Following injuries to the policemen who went to mediate, extra police personnel were deployed to the spot. Two buses were also seized by the Panambur police.
The Kerala Reserve Police from Thrissur headquarters who had been deployed in Bantwal on election duty had come from Bangalore after the first phase of elections in the state. They had been to the city and the beach during their hours of leisure.
The arrested policemen were taken to Wenlock Hospital to be tested for alcohol consumption.
These arrested policemen had also targeted the beach supervision committee members and the lifeguards.
Yathish Baikampady, chief, beach supervision committee, said that the police were almost incoherent and were trying to impress their official status on everyone.
Briefing about the incident, he added “They created a nuisance by about traveling in the speed boat with their team only. But the speed boat had been already booked by seven members including five women. The policemen argued that the others be made to get down. When the staff of the boating company refused to do this, the policemen started to forcibly pull down those who were in the boat. When the people opposed this move, they brought lathis from their bus and began hitting people.”
The Kerala policemen were about 50 in all and came in two official buses. Some of them managed to escape after the incident when the Panambur police appeared on the scene.
Panambur sub-inspector Pramod Kumar said that information obtained so far indicated that most of the offenders were drunk and thus, had been sent to be tested for alcohol consumption.
Baikampady has lodged a complaint against the truant policemen as have some of the injured women.