Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Dec 8: In a rare instance, the personnel of Mangaluru rural station here on Tuesday December 8 rose in protest against their own department over the alleged action taken against the circle inspector (CI) of the same police station.
Circle inspector Pramod
Abubakker Siddique (arrested)
It is said that CI Pramod of Mangaluru rural police station has been reportedly suspended and sent on leave for 10 days.
Sources said that CI Pramod had on Monday December 7 arrested a person identified as Abubakker Siddique in connection to the Ulaibettu clashes that had occured last year. Following the arrest, Pramod has been sent on 10 days' leave due to alleged political pressure, sources said.
The cops of Mangaluru rural police station came out in support of the CI, protesting against the move and refused to resume duty until the order is withdrawn. Personnel of other police stations like Kadri, Panambur and others also joined in.
Soon, even locals irrespective of caste and community and different organizations like HJV and DYFI also joined the protest.
Speaking to reporters, Alwyn, a local, said, "Our inspector Pramod is like a lion, we do not want a mouse-like inspector to take charge in his place. He should be reinstated within half an hour, or we will spend the night protesting here. Do the persons who have suspended CI Pramod have any shame? Do they know what the condition of this police station is? Instead of improving the police station, an honest inspector who arrested a rowdy has been suspended and sent home.
"Let the chief minister come and see the state of affairs in Dakshina Kannada. If Pramod is not reinstated, we will intensify our protest and block the roads and gherao the police commissioner's office. We will not keep quiet," he warned.
Subhash Padil of Hindu Jagarana Vedike, who also joined the protest, said, "Pramod sir is an honest officer who does his duty without considering caste or creed of the accused in any case. He has been suspended because he arrested a rowdy-sheeter. I think the sand mafia is behind this. Hindu Jagarana Vedike along with the locals will continue our protest till the order is revoked."
DCP Shantharaju arrived at the spot and urged the cops to come into the station and discuss the matter, but they refused.
Police commissioner S Murugan also came to speak to the protestors, but they kept up their demand. The police commissioner said that he had not passed any order to send Pramod on leave or to suspend him, and that there was no such order from the government either. He also said that Pramod had himself taken leave and he had not been suspended. However, the protestors refused to believe him and demanded that Pramod be called to the spot if he had not been sent on leave. When the commissioner said he did not know where Pramod was, one of the protestors came forward to file a 'missing' complaint.
The protestors then blocked Padil-Nantoor stretch in front of the police station, stopping vehicles and causing disruption in traffic.
Finally, Pramod was called to the spot and he told the protestors that he would be joining back duty on Wednesday December 9 and that everything was fine. The protestors, convinced by his words, finally withdrew the agitation and celebrated. Sources said that bowing to pressure from cops and locals, the leave order was withdrawn.
It is learnt that the accused Abubakker Siddique had attempted to sexually assault a woman during the Ulaibettu clashes and had gone absconding since then. He is also an accused in an attempt-to-murder case, it is learnt. Circle inspector Pramod arrested Abubakker on Monday and produced him in court, which remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days. The protesting cops and locals alleged that soon after Abubakker's arrest, two politicians of Dakshina Kannada put pressure on the police department to 'transfer' Pramod, after which he was sent on leave, they said.