Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 3: The state government, which is determined to crush proposed agitation by police personnel on June 4, has filed cases against Shashidhar, president of All Karnataka Police Association, and Basavaraj Koravankar, member of Retired and Serving Police Families Welfare Committee, under treason. They now face allegation of launching agitation against the government.

Although there are indications that police personnel may not go ahead with their strike plan, the government does not want to leave any stone unturned in its resolve to save its face. To send a strong signal that it will not tolerate indiscipline, it has sought to take strongest possible measures, as the entire nation is watching the developments arising out of this strike call.

 Omprakash

State director general of police, Omprakash, justifying the rationale behind invoking of provision relating to treason against Shashidhar, asserted that vested interests which aim at spreading indiscipline in police department will not be spared. It may be noted that treason charges are rarely levelled and in the recent past, Kanhaiya Kumar, president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, and Hardik Patel, who had spearheaded a movement in Gujarat demanding reservation in jobs for Patel community, were charged with treason.

Some sources say that these leaders have been booked under strong provisions of law to make it hard for them to secure bail through the court. The government believes that by the time they fulfil requirement and get bail, the situation would have eased.

Speaking to media persons on Thursday June 2, Omprakash said that Shashidhar and Basavaraj Koravankar, who have been arrested on charges of inciting police personnel to illegally resort to protest, have been booked under Essential Services Maintenance Act, police act, and also treason under Indian Penal Code section 124 (a). The court has remanded Shashidhar to judicial custody till June 16.

In the meanwhile, wife of Shashidhar, Poornima, condemned the fact that about 30 policemen had surrounded her house at around 12.30 am on Thursday, and asked her to open door. Speaking to media on Thursday, she said they also threatened of breaking open the door in case she failed to open the door. She added that the policemen snatched away cellphone of her son when he tried to take a snap, and took away computer and some documents. She said her husband would have voluntarily accompanied even if one policeman had come and requested him to accompany him. Shashidhar's advocate, Dorairaju, wondered whether his client was a terrorist.

Former state chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, also came down heavily on the state government for the above steps, comparing the present day rule to the situation prevailing during the British rule.