Local politician, his men assault traffic SI in Seshadripuram

Bengaluru: A sub-inspector attached to High Grounds Traffic police station was allegedly manhandled by a local politician and his supporters near Nehru Circle in Seshadripuram police limits on Thursday evening.

The Sub-Inspector, T.R. Srinivas, who was attacked, had slapped a fine on a car that was parked on the footpath and a no-parking zone near Nehru Circle. Several passersby had complained to the traffic police that the car had been parked on the footpath obstructing the movement of pedestrians.

Mr Srinivas arrived at the spot with a homeguard and found the four-wheeler violating the parking rules. He tried to locate the driver, but could not trace him. Soon, the driver arrived at the spot, and the SI asked him to pay the fine.

Replying rudely to the SI, the driver refused to pay the fine. He called up Shivaswamy Gowda, a local politician, who arrived at the spot along with his associates. Gowda told the Mr Srinivas that he held sway in the area, and since the SI was new to the area, he should leave the spot without collecting the fine, sources in the police department said.

The SI told the neta and his men that he was discharging his duties and it was wrong on their part to obstruct him. As the altercation heated up, Gowda and his men allegedly manhandled the SI.

Mr Srinivas filed a complaint at Seshadripuram police station against Gowda and his seven supporters. The SI took charge at the High Grounds traffic police station only last month after he was transferred from the Malleswaram law and order police station.

SI T.R. Srinivas, who was attacked by politician Shivaswamy Gowda and his men on Thursday, is the same officer who was transferred from enforcement wing to the investigation wing of High Grounds Traffic Police Station after he slapped fines against two ministers – Women and Child Welfare Minister Umashree and Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya.

The SI had spotted Umashree’s official driver Lakshman driving while speaking on his mobile phone and not wearing the seatbelt. In the second instance, Mr Srinivas had fined the personal car of Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya.

The driver, Prakash, who was also driving while speaking on the phone and not wearing the seatbelt, claimed that he was related to the minister.