A police constable from Bidar has written to the Director-General of Police alleging that his senior officers were harassing him. Senior officers, however, deny it, saying the constable is trying to gain sympathy to avoid transfers out of Bidar city.
Veershetty M., working in the district police office (DPO), is facing charges of attempt to rape a woman and is under suspension now. In the letter to the DGP and IGP, he has said that his younger brother Sharanappa was assaulted by Chotu Mian, a resident of Chatnalli village, in 2015. Sharanappa complained to the Mannalli police station, but sub-inspector P. Sangamesh did not register the case and advised them to settle the issue. However, Sharanappa insisted on filing the complaint and approached the court. Acting on his petition, the district court referred the case to the police station concerned. Apart from blaming Chotu Mian for the attack, the complaint named the sub-inspector for failing to register the complaint.
In the letter, Veershetty said “SP Sudhir Kumar Reddy and Additional SP G. Sangeeta put pressure on me to force my brother to withdraw the complaint. However, my brother did not listen to me. The SI, SP and Additional SP began targeting me for this. A false case of attempt to rape was registered against me and my son who is the leader of a pro-Kannada organisation. I was arrested and suspended. However, I fell ill and was taken to a private hospital in Hyderabad. I have been diagnosed with brain stroke.”
He has claimed that he has evidence of senior officers harassing him, including documents and audio recordings.
When contacted, SP Prakash Nikam said that the whole process of acting against the constable was according to rules. He denied that police filed a false case against the constable, his son or his wife. She and some others sat in dharna in front of the police station and his brother tried to immolate himself. That is why a case of obstructing government officers was booked against them. The case regarding attempt to rape is under investigation, the SP said.
DPO sources say the constable, in his 25 years of service, worked in Bidar city and refused postings outside. When forced to join service in a rural police station, he went on leave for nearly nine months, feigning illness. When threatened with disciplinary action, he filed cases against senior officers and wrote letters to heads of department and approached politicians, a senior officer said.
