Date:11/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/11/stories/2008101154000500.htm

Karnataka

Woman suspected of having an ‘affair’, beaten up

Special Correspondent

She says her husband approached the police twice
She alleges police assaulted and abused her

CHICKBALLAPUR: A 32-year-old married woman suffered severe injuries after she was allegedly beaten up by policemen at the Pathapalya Police Station in Bagepalli taluk of Chickballapur district on Thursday.

Padmavathi of Nallasanapalli, who has suffered injuries on the head and foot, has been admitted at the District Hospital in Chickballapur.

A few days ago, Ms. Padmavathi’s husband Gopalappa had complained to the Pathapalya police that she was having an affair with another man.

The police, who did not register a complaint, summoned all the parties concerned and advised Padmavathi to mend her ways, the police said.

However, on Thursday afternoon Mr. Gopalppa approached the police again and complained that his wife continued her affair with the other man.

Subsequently, the police brought Padmavathi to the police station and allegedly assaulted her.

A weeping Ms. Padmavathi told presspersons at the hospital here that the policemen assaulted her with lathis and tore her clothes.

As there were no women police at the station, the policemen themselves dragged her to the station, abused and assaulted her, she said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Chickballapur sub-division) K.A. Nanaiah said that Ms. Padmavathi’s relatives themselves had thrashed her after finding her in the company of another man.

He did not rule out the possibility of the local policemen having abused her. He said senior officers would enquire into the allegations.

Mr. Nanaiah admitted that there were no women police at the Pathapalya police station. Whenever there was a necessity, women police would be summoned from the Bagepalli police station, he told The Hindu on Friday.

Meanwhile, Ms. Padmavathi’s relatives and members of the Akhila Karnataka H.D. Kumaraswamy Fans’ Association alleged that the police were trying to hush up the matter.

The Bagepalli police reportedly refused to register a complaint against policemen attached to the Pathapalya police station who allegedly assaulted Ms. Padmavathi.