Police thrash Bescom lineman for threatening to cut inspector’s house power line
TUMAKURU: Policemen from the Tiptur Town police station in Tumakuru district allegedly detained and thrashed a lineman from Bengaluru Electric Supply Company (Bescom) for warning the family of Tiptur Circle Inspector that the power connection to their residence would be cut if the pending bills are not cleared.
Lineman Annappa, who is also the electricity meter reader, visited Circle Inspector Satyanarayana’s residence at Vidyanagar in Tiptur on Sunday and asked the residents to pay the bill of '1,194 pending for the last three months. He told them that if the bill is not paid within two days, the power connection would be cut.
Satyanarayana’s wife flew into a rage and dared the lineman to cut the power connection. She told him that since they were the inspector’s family, they could pay the bill whenever they wished, the lineman alleged. She also called up Mr Satyanarayana, who was away at work, and narrated him the incident.
Soon after her complaint, sub-inspector Ravindra and constable Ashok attached to the Titptur town police station arrived at the spot and detained Annappa. They took him to the police station, where more policemen joined them in torturing him. “The policemen subjected me to third degree torture. They physically assaulted me. I have a bruise on my cheeks and am suffering from body pain,” he alleged.
“They snatched my cell phone, locked me up for 3-4 hours and subjected me to severe physical torture. I could not even seek help from colleagues as the policemen had taken away my mobile phone. When they let me go, they made me sign on a blank sheet of paper,” he alleged. Mr Satyanarayana was not available for comment.
A complaint was filed before DySP Ravikumar, who said that strict disciplinary action would be taken against those responsible for thrashing the lineman.Hundreds of Bescom employees from the Tiptur subdivision staged a protest in front of their office in Tiptur, demanding justice for Annappa. KEB SC/ST Association Tiptur Division Committee President Narayanappa condemned the incident, and urged the government to take action against the policemen.
