Commissioner of Police Chandragupta on Friday said the police would come up with its account of the recent incident where a motorcyclist was killed on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Hinkal flyover junction only after the inquiry into the episode was done.
An officer of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police was probing the case looking into various contradicting interpretations and explanations, including the complaint of deceased biker Devaraj’s family and the version of his friend Suresh who claimed to be riding pillion, and came to a conclusion on what actually happened on that day.
The biker’s death triggered protests with the public accusing the traffic police checking vehicles for the accident in which a tipper-truck hit Devaraj’s bike killing him instantly. A strong mob later attacked policemen and also damaged their patrol vehicle. So far, 13 people have been arrested in this connection.
The incident also sparked protests from locals and criticism in social media against the police for the alleged harassment of motorists in the name of vehicle checking and slapping of fines. The police came under flak over the episode from A.H. Vishwanath, MLC, who lashed out against the Commissioner of Police for issuing “appreciation letters” to the policemen following the biker’s death.
At a meet-the-press programme organised by Mysuru District Journalists’ Association (MDJA) here, the Commissioner faced a volley of questions from reporters on the incident while clarifying that the traffic policemen had no role to play since they were checking vehicles 250 metres away from the accident site. He also refuted claims that the biker fell off after a policeman threw a lathi or a stick to stop him from evading checking.
“The inquiry is based on the complaints and also what eyewitnesses saw. All versions are being looked into. The truth will come out. The police would be in a position to narrate its account only after the probe,” he told reporters.
Defending “appreciation letters” he gave to the policemen after the incident, Mr. Chandragupta said, despite the mob attacking on-duty traffic policemen, other policemen rushed to the spot and shifted the victim and injured to hospital. The letter was intended to boost their morale, appreciating their commitment to duty knowing the risks. “Imagine what will happen if policemen refuse help fearing mob attacks and do not shift injured in such cases to hospitals,” he asked
On Mr. Vishwanath’s criticism, he said, “He (the MLC) could have called me and clarified on this. I would have explained to him why I gave letters of appreciation.”
Replying to questions on the swift action by the police in the case with immediate arrests, he refuted the allegations of retribution and said the police acted as per the law.
MDJA President S.T. Ravikumar, General Secretary Subramanya, Secretary Rangaswamy and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sandesh Kumar were present.
