Date:18/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/18/stories/2006031824310300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Of crime and policemen

Though not many, there have been cases in Bangalore of policemen indulging in crime, writes K.V. Subramanya

THE INCIDENT of a policeman allegedly stealing a purse with Rs. 2,600 in it in Upparpet police station limits on Friday brings back memories of policemen themselves indulging in crimes.

The Friday's incident comes close on the heels of the Lokayukta police arresting four inspectors working in the city and a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Bangalore Rural district on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Though Bangalore does not account for many such incidents, still there have been cases of policemen allegedly taking to extortion, robbery and kidnappings.

Some such incidents reported in the recent past have dented the image of the Bangalore police.

A few months ago, the Jnana Bharati police arrested Gangarajaiah, a head constable attached to the Vidhana Soudha police station, on the charge of robbing an employee of a private company of Rs. 13,000.

Gangarajaiah, who was in uniform, accosted Siddalingeshwara Swamy who was waiting at Kottigepalya to catch a bus to his house at Mallathalli. He introduced himself as a policeman at the Kamakshipalya station and offered a lift to Swamy. After travelling some distance, Gangarajaiah stopped the scooter at an isolated place and allegedly robbed Swamy of the cash. The police recovered from the head constable Rs. 5,000.

In another incident, four constables attached to the Commercial Street police station were suspended on charges of kidnapping and extorting Rs. 10,000 and a mobile phone from Bhageerath Singh, an official of a private nursing college.

Singh was illegally detained and tortured at the Commercial Street police station. A criminal case was also registered against the accused constables Govindraj, Devaraj, Saju Anthony and John Kini, in the Jayanagar police station.

Singh had complained that four persons claiming to be policemen attached to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) had taken him to the Commercial Street police station and tortured him. The accused told him to pay them Rs. 1 lakh and "settle the case" and also had got his signature on some papers.

When Singh said he did not have Rs. 1 lakh and also he was not aware of any case, they took him to his house in `T' Block, Jayanagar, and allegedly threatened his wife and daughter by locking them up in a room. Later, they made Singh withdraw Rs. 10,000 from an ATM and released him after taking the money.

The most sensational of the "police crimes" was reported on August 27, 2002. A group led by the then Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic-Vijayanagar) A. Belliappa allegedly robbed Dhanraj and Manohar, employees of Sainuddin, a gold merchant from Kozhikode, of Rs. 19 lakhs.

Posing as Customs officials, Belliappa, sub-inspector Dasanna, head constable Parthasarathy and constable Mohan allegedly dragged out Dhanraj and Manohar from a Kerala-bound private bus on Mysore Road in Kengeri police station limits and robbed them of the cash.

Belliappa was later dismissed from service. Recently, Belliappa was and others were acquitted by the court.

The police are planning to challenge Belliappa's acquittal.

Ramesh, a sub-inspector attached to the Upparpet police station, was also dismissed from service some time ago on charges of kidnapping and molesting a woman, a singer at a live band joint.