Times of India

Bangalore, Jan 8: Has moral policing reached Bangalore or was it a case of excessive harassment of law-abiding citizens?

A young, married couple, who chose to spend a relaxed Sunday evening at Bugle Rock Park, Basavanagudi, had a horrifying time after two policemen hurled filthy abuses at them, roughed them up, threatened them and took them to a police station.

Even more shocking about the intimidation was that Nisha and Vikram (names changed) were merely enjoying the evening breeze on a bench. The couple has been married for four years now.

In fact, they were chatting on their respective mobiles around 6.45 pm, when a plainclothes constable approached them and questioned them rudely. Asked if they’d done something wrong and whether he could prove his identity, the constable jeered at them: "Oh, you want to see my ID, I will show you now." Then he pulled Vikram by his collar and roughed him up.

Later, a cop in uniform emerged and threatened to kill Vikram. His wife Nisha, a journalist with a national daily, said she would call higher police authorities for help. But they abused her too. When Vikram protested that they couldn't treat her so rudely, the policemen said derisively: "Want to know how we treat you? Come to the station and you'll know."

The couple was taken to the Basavanagudi police station in a jeep. When the matter was brought to the notice of the higher-ups, the station in-charge apologized and sent the couple away. However, when the issue was being sorted out by the inspector, the policemen slunk away.

They were later identified as Constable Bala Naik and PSI Sharanaiah Gowda attached to the Basavangudi police station.