Daijiworld Media Network – Sullia (SP)

Sullia, Dec 19: Vice president of the town panchayat here, Prakash Hegde, and president of town unit of BJP Shakti Kendra, P K Umesh, have got themselves admitted into the local hospital. They have claimed that they have been victims of police brutality in connection with stone pelting incident at the police station here on the night of Wednesday December 14.

After two men and two women from different communities were found travelling in a car on Wednesday night, some locals had intercepted the car and brought the four persons to the police station. When the policemen were holding discussions with the concerned, the mob outside had pelted stones at the police station. Prakash Hegde, speaking to media persons, said he was stopped by the policemen on the road near Ubaradka, before raining choicest abuses on him and bringing him to the police station. “I was compelled to remove my pants and shirt. I was made to lie down on rods, after which, I was beaten up thoroughly. They hit me on my stomach, and cut my sacred thread. Blood clots have formed all over my body because of police atrocity. After beating me up thoroughly, they ridiculed me by challenging me to call up Chief Minister, D V Sadananda Gowda, and complain to him,” he claimed.

P K Umesh said the policemen who barged into his house, had urged him to come to the police station at midnight. He said that his mobile phone was snatched away by the policemen, and that they did not allow him to change clothes. “They asked me to show the house of Navin Rai. They meted out physical and mental torture in methods which existed centuries ago. I would not have objected if the guilty were punished. I and some innocent people had come there to hold dialogues with the policemen. This is an offence which cannot be condoned,” he added.

Umesh said that two others, Deekshit Kumar and Uday Kumar, had also got themselves admitted into a hospital for treatment of injuries suffered at the hands of policemen.