Hassan Police have come under severe criticism over the recent incident of assaulting a person, who was on the way to a clinic along with his son suffering from fever, on charges of violating the lockdown regulations and attacking the police on duty.
Shabbir Ahmed, 39, an autorickshaw driver residing near Shafi Masjid in Hassan, was on the way to Kiran Clinic on his two-wheeler around 10 a.m. on March 27 with his nine-year-old son who was suffering from fever. Two police constables Ganesh and Jagadish, attached to Pension Mohalla Station, stopped him and beat him with lathis for coming out of his house. They allegedly did not allow him to explain to them where he was going and why.
According to eye-witnesses, Shabbir got angry with a sudden beating in the presence of his child. The police have booked a case against him on charges of attacking the police on duty.
The video clips of the incidents that have gone viral in social media show the policemen hitting him with lathis on his head, back and legs. They did not leave him even after he ran into a house nearby to escape. The clips have been widely shared on various social media platforms. The police have been criticised for their actions.
Shabbir’s wife Reshma has filed a complaint with the police accusing the two police constables of assaulting her husband. However, the complaint has not been registered so far. She, in her complaint, alleged that the police beat him up severely on the road and dragged him into the police station, where they continued to beat him up. When she went to meet him in the station, she was not allowed inside, but she could hear her husband being beaten up.
The police got a medical examination done and produced him before a judicial magistrate, who ordered for his release. The family members took him to a private hospital in the town. The doctors, who treated him, have suggested the family take him to NIMHANS for further examination.
Imran, an advocate, told The Hindu that the police initially refused to register Reshma’s complaint. However, after he spoke to senior officers, he has got an assurance that the complaint would be registered. They are still waiting for the process to take place.
