Bengaluru: A late night show at a multiplex turned nightmarish for three techies, who were allegedly stopped, abused, slapped and taken to the Mico Layout police station by two beat constables just after midnight on Saturday. The victims were let off only after they gave an apology letter.
Within 30 minutes of Deccan Chronicle reporting the incident to DCP (South East) Rohini Katoch, the errant constables were summoned by the inspector of Mico Layout police and made to apologise to the victims.
It all began around 1 am on Saturday, when the three victims Ashish Kumar Shukla (23), Priyank Singh (24) and Akshay Nimgaonkar, who had gone for a movie at Gopalan Cinemas on Bannerghatta Road, stopped at a tea stall on their way back home.
“While we were walking towards the tea stall, two policemen stopped us and asked us why we were on the road so late in the night. I told them that we had gone to a movie and were going to the tea stall.
They suddenly turned rude. I politely told them we were IT professionals, but one of the constables started abusing me and shouted, ‘I know what you people are doing here. Go to your rooms,’” said Ashish.
When Ashish told the constable not to be rude, the policemen allegedly grabbed him by the collar and slapped him. When he warned them that he would complain to their higher-ups, they forcibly took all of them to the police station. They were let off only after much persuasion and an apology letter.
“I didn’t know that watching a late night show, followed by a tea at a nearby stall can be a crime in Bengaluru.
Also, the policemen on night patrolling apparently have full rights to slap you, abuse you and drag you to the police station, if you try to reason with them,” stated a 23-year-old harried techie Ashish Kumar Shukla.
A resident of BTM Layout, Ashish along with two friends, identified as Priyank Singh, 24, and Akshay Nimgaonkar, 23, didn’t know that their stroll down the lane would turn into a nightmare.
The incident took place on Saturday night at around 1 am near Udupi Garden signal at 7th Main BTM Layout II stage in Mico Layout Police station limits.
The trio after watching a movie at Gopalan cinemas on Bannerghatta Road headed towards their room in BTM Layout at around 1 am.
They decided to stop at a wayside tea stall on 7th main road and then walk to their home. The alleged harassment began when two night beat constables stopped the trio on the way.
“While we were walking towards tea stall, two police men stopped us and asked us the reason for being on road late night. I told that we are coming from Gopalan Cinema after watching a movie and going for tea.
Soon after listening this they started behaving rudely. And when I politely said, ‘Sir you can check our identity cards, I am a software professional and working for HCL’, the constable started abusing me and said I know what you people are doing here. Go to your rooms,” Ashish said.
To add to their misery, when Priyank and Ashish tried reasoning with the two constables asking as to why they are abusing like this as they were not criminals or doing anything wrong, the men in khaki lost their cool and allegedly slapped Ashish.
Narrating the ordeal, Ashish told Deccan Chronicle, “The policemen were not ready to listen anything. While I was telling the duo that we were sober, one of them grabbed my collar and slapped me. And when I warned them that I will talk to the senior officials, they forcefully tried to make me sit over their bike, which I opposed.”
Meanwhile, Priyank who was trying to make calls on his mobile phone, was attacked by other police constable. He reportedly snatched mobile phones of both the victims and took them to Mico layout Police Station.
Ashish alleged that when they demanded to know the reason for the high handed treatment, they were told “We will show you people the result of arguing with police” and were reportedly told to stand in front of the lock-up for the whole night.
After standing there for more than one hour and they managed to persuade the policemen at the Mico Layout police station to let them go, but only after Ashish and Priyank were forced to write an apology stating that they will not go anywhere late night.
“We were forcibly made to write an apology letter in favour of Inspector, Mico Layout police station. As we were helpless and had no other option, we wrote an apology letter and came out. Instead of us, those two policemen should have been sorry for their rude behavior,” said Ashish.
On Sunday evening, when Deccan Chronicle informed the incident to DCP South-East, Rohini Katoch Sepat, she immediately took note of it and said, “I will look into the matter and enquire about it. I will also notify the inspector concerned to look into the matter immediately.”
Within 30 minutes, the Mico Layout police station inspector Manjunath called Ashish and Priyank to the police station. “Upon reaching the police station, the inspector summoned both the constables and they admitted they had misbehaved with us. The constables were let off with a strict warning,” said Ashish.
