Home Department asks the Central Crime Branch to conduct the probe
Three days after allegedly attacking beat constables of Cubbon Park Police Station, Hungund legislator Vijayanand Kashappanavar, who is yet to be traced by the police, has now moved court seeking anticipatory bail. He has submitted to court that the constables had manhandled him and misbehaved with female members of his family.
The incident
Somashekar Gowda, a Congress worker, is also yet to be traced. Mr. Gowda had organised a party to celebrate Mr. Kashappanavar’s birthday at a bar that allegedly went into the early hours of Wednesday. When two beat constables went to videograph the party as part of standard procedure, they were allegedly assaulted.
Mr. Kashappanavar, in his anticipatory bail petition filed through his counsel Sathish Raikar, has said: “Despite informing them that he was an MLA, the police shoved and humiliated him. They caught his collar and shoved him around the bar. They also humiliated and outraged the modesty of the women, including his wife, cousins, niece and friends’ wives, who were at the bar on Wednesday.”
Mr. Kashappanavar has been named as the accused number 2 in the case of assaulting the constables.
The anticipatory bail application was filed on Friday at the City Civil and Sessions Court, which issued a notice to the Public Prosecutor seeking objection and posted the matter for hearing on Saturday.
Mr. Kashappanavar has also mentioned in his bail application that he would follow conditions of the bail and present himself before the police to cooperate in the investigation.
Mr. Raikar told The Hindu that his client had even called up the Cubbon Park Inspector on his mobile phone and filed an oral complaint against the constables in question.
CCB to probe
Meanwhile, considering the sensitive nature of the case, the Home Department has asked the Central Crime Branch to take over the case for detailed investigation. Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhisek Goyal confirmed this stating that a team of officials headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police would conduct the probe.
The Cubbon Park Police are also looking out for Somegowda , a rowdy-sheeter and a close confidante of Mr. Kashappanavar, who is the prime accused in the case.
Somegowda also applied for bail at the Sessions Court on Friday and his plea was posted for hearing on Saturday.
The Congress has Somegowda’s primary membership from the party.
“We are tracking the movements of Somegowda and he will be arrested soon,” a senior police officer said.
A special team of police had gone to Hungund to check his whereabouts.
Both the accused have switched off their mobiles and efforts and suspected to have gone out of station.
A team of top police officials, including City Police Commissioner Raghavendra H. Auradhkar, Additional Commissioner Kamal Panth and Deputy Commissioner Ravikanthe Gowda met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and briefed him about the case.
(The Hindu)
