Probe ordered into CRPF jawan's arrest in K'taka over lockdown 'violation'

Bengaluru, Apr 28 () A CRPF jawan has been arrested inKarnataka for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown normswith the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his'ill treatment', following which an inquiry has been orderedby the state police.

State DGP Praveen Sood has ordered inquiry into theincident, which has triggered a row after a video of it wentviral.

In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seenhitting CRPF soldier Sachin Sawant with sticks in Belagavi.

According to the information shared on social media,Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached thespot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask duringthe lockdown.

Taking a serious view of the 'ill-treatment' meted out toits Cobra Commando, the CRPF has written a letter to theKarnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter.

In a letter to the DGP of Karnataka, the additionalDirector general of police of CRPF Sanjay Arora said Sawantwas cleaning his bike when a skirmish happened between him andthe police over not wearing the mask.

Arora wrote, "Sawant was manhandled and ill-treated,before his family members and paraded to the police stationbarefoot, where he was kept in chains and handcuff.

From the scrutiny of a viral video on social media, it isapparent that the conduct of police personnel was not citizencentric."

The CRPF ADGP also said the 'unpleasant' situation couldhave been avoided if the Karnataka police had taken CRPFhierarchy into confidence before making the arrest.

In response, Sood ordered an inquiry into the matter.

He tweeted that IGP Belagavi has been asked to conduct aprobe into the incident involving CRPF constable.

Action will be taken against guilty after receipt ofreport, he said.

According to sources, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai hasdirected the state police chief to conduct a detailed inquiryinto the incident.

Denouncing the arrest, Karnataka Irrigation MinisterRamesh Jarkiholi has sought the release of the CRPF jawan.

"It was wrong on the part of the constables to ill treatCRPF jawan and an inquiry be conducted against the erringpolicemen," said jarkiholi in a press release.

However, Superintendent of Police of Belagavi district,Laxman Nimbargi defended the arrest of Sawant.

According to him, the constables of Sadalga policestation were on patrol duty on April 23, when they spottedSawant sitting on a bench in his village in Chikkodi Taluk.

While others fled on seeing the policemen, Sawantremained seated.

When the constables questioned Sawant why he defied thesection 144 of the CrPC imposed in the district, the jawanreplied that he was also a policeman.

The patrolling party reminded him that he should followthe regulations, Nimbargi said and alleged that this irked theCRPF soldier, who held the constables by their collars andeven punched one of them. COR GMSROH ROH