K'taka: Youth dies after police interrogation; angry mob sets police station ablaze

HUBBALLI: Following the death of a youth after police interrogation in Gadag district, an angry mob set the jurisdictional Laxmeshwar police station on fire early Sunday. The youth was reportedly picked up for questioning in connection with alleged links to illegal sand mafia.

The enraged relatives and fellow villagers ransacked the police station, forcing the PSI and other policemen to flee. They also burnt a police jeep and around ten bikes parked outside the station.

The police have imposed prohibitory orders and deployed additional forces from adjoining districts, as tense situation prevailed in the town.

North Range IGP Ramachandra Rao has suspended the sub-inspector Dayanand Nayak and jeep driver Ashok Pujar in this connection. However, police officials claimed that people behind illegal sand mafia were involved in the violence.

The police officials have been conducting raids for the last one month to control illegal sand mining, which is rampant in the taluk.

On Saturday night the police raided lorries for illegal transportation of sand. They had allegedly beaten lorry driver Shivanand Gooli (21), who hailed from Battur village.

A police jeep set ablaze by an angry mob in Lakshmeshwar, Gadag, on Sunday. (Photo: KPN)

After the police interrogation, he reached home and reportedly complained of chest pain. His family members rushed Shivanand to a hospital, but he was declared brought dead.

Shivanand's relatives and hundreds of angry villagers, arrived in tractors and laid siege to the police station, along with the body. They blamed police for Shvanand's death and demanded action against erring policemen.

The injury marks on the head and legs of Shivanand had aroused the suspicion of the villagers.

Soon the situation got out of control and the enraged mob destroyed furniture, computers and other records, before setting the police station on fire. They also pelted stones at two fire brigade vehicles, which had arrived to extinguish the fire.

Deputy Commissioner Manoj Jain and senior police officials had tough time convincing the mob to allow the post-mortem of the body. The relatives complained that the police officials have beaten the driver to death and spared sand mining mafia bigwigs.

They alleged that police officials were making money by colluding with those involved in the mining mafia and action was being taken against lowly labourers, who are working with them for their livelihood.

FIR filed
Police officials assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted. “We have accepted the FIR filed against the policemen by Shivanand's family members. Truth will come out only after detailed probe by an independent  judicial authority. We will take action against both erring policemen and the people were responsible for torching police station and vehicles," Jain said.

Police have deployed around ten platoons of district reserve and KSRP constables in Laxmeshwar town to prevent untoward incidents.

CID to probe
Denying the charge of lock-up death, the north range IGP Ramachandra Rao said that the case will be handed over to CID for thorough investigation. He also said that there is a loss of more than Rs 30 lakh due to arson attack at the police station.