Bengaluru cops’ mantra: Why file a case, just settle it

BENGALURU: Once again the men in khaki declined to file complaint and tried to persuade an assault victim to ‘settle’ the issue with the accused.

A constable attached with Srirampura police station allegedly refused to register an FIR for a 26-year-old man, who had arrived bleeding profusely at the police station and wanted to lodge an assault complaint on Friday night. It was lodged only on Saturday morning after the matter was brought to the notice of Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Alok Kumar.

He also ordered an inquiry and directed DCP North T.R. Suresh to look into the matter. The victim, identified as Manjunath R, a resident of Srirampura, told Deccan Chronicle that he approached Srirampura police station on Friday night around 10 pm.

The night duty police constable Basavaraju allegedly refused to register an FIR and asked Manjunath to settle the issue for Rs 10,000. It was only with the help of an activist, the matter was brought up to the senior officers and his complaint was registered.

Manjunath used to work with Asha Bar and had left the job few months ago. In his complaint to the police, the victim stated, “I received a call from Vijay, who works as a cashier with Asha Bar in Srirampura on late Thursday night.

Vijay offered me drinks and later called his associates and began assaulting me. They dragged me inside a store room and kept raining blows on my stomach and face. After hitting me for hours, they then changed my blood-soaked shirt and locked me inside the room and went away.

The entire night I was locked inside the store room and was let off only on Friday morning.” Manjunath’s brother Anand told DC, “When my brother approached the Srirampura police station on Friday night to lodge an FIR for assault, the constable on duty, Basavaraj refused to register an FIR and asked him to get the settlement done with the accused.

Despite repeated pleas, he didn’t listen to us.” Manjunath said that “Vijay used to mix branded liquor with locally made ones and used to put a branded cap on the bottles. Some customers complained to me that the drinks were being adulterated. When I confronted Vijay, he got into a verbal spat with me and threatened me. Following that I had left the job in Asha Bar.”

However, when DC contacted Srirampura police inspector said, “The incident took place on Thursday night while the victim had approached the police station on Friday night. I was unaware about what happened but when the matter was brought to my notice the Srirampura police station immediately registered the assault case and arrested the accused Vijay on Saturday.”