Bengaluru: ACP slaps senior journalist, police order internal probe

BENGALURU: The city police have initiated an internal inquiry against its high-handed Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Whitefield Sub-Division for slapping a journalist of an English newspaper, who was covering police excesses against protesters at KR Puram in the city.

The ACP, .V Krishnappa, slapped a senior journalist who was video-recording the police abusing a protester holding a placard at KR Puram. The video of the ACP slapping the journalist has gone viral on social media and has angered netizens.

Additional Commissioner of Police (East) S. Murugan told Deccan Chronicle that the internal inquiry under DCP (Whitefield) M.N. Anuchet has been ordered and the DCP has been directed to submit a report, following which action will be taken against the errant police officer.

"An inquiry into the incident has been initiated. DCP Anuchet has been directed to probe the incident and submit a report. Further course of action will be decided once the report is submitted,” Mr Murugan said.

The incident happened at KR Puram on Thursday when a group of demonstrators gathered demanding free and fair elections and asked people not to take money from political parties to “save democracy”.

ACP Krishnappa, who was apparently irked by the protesters gathering near a polling booth, abused one of the demonstrators. After he realised that his act was being filmed by a journalist, the ACP slapped him. The entire act has been caught in the camera and the video has gone viral.

City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao had said that the matter would be looked into and an internal inquiry would be formed to probe the incident.