Bangalore: After third degree, cops tell victim to forget it

Bangalore Mirror

Bangalore, 22 August 2011:  When a police sub-inspector and four constables came knocking on M Janardhan’s farmhouse at the foot of Nandi Hills in May last year, the family was taken aback.

 

The policemen had come looking for Janardhan’s 21-year old son Manu J, who had gone out to distribute wedding invitations of a close relative. The police asked Janardhan to send Manu for “some questioning” to the Chikballapur police station.

 

Little did Manu, son of Janardhan, a well-to-do farmer in the Nandi Hills region, realise what was in store for him. He was kept in custody for two days in a gold chain theft suspicion case.

 

“It was a shock when police suspected my son of stealing a gold chain from a visitor in Nandi Hills. For two days, they thrashed him and when they realised their mistake, they tried to milk the situation. Knowing that we are wealthy, police inspector Shivakumar first asked me to get a 70-80 gm gold chain from my house to show that the stolen chain had been traced. When I didn’t accept, a constable called up asking for some money to settle the case. Since I knew that my son was innocent, I wanted to do things the right way,” says Janardhan, showing the pile of complaint papers submitted to the higher-ups.

 

“Since I knew my son Manu (right) was innocent, I wanted to do things the right way,” Janardhan said

 

When Janardhan refused to pay up, the police let go of Manu, asking him to “forget everything as a bad dream.” The youth, unable to get over the torture that he underwent and the insult, tried to commit suicide by drinking pesticide after writing a detailed letter about how he was tortured in the police remand home. Manu was admitted to ICU for a week and still hasn’t recovered completely.

 

Meanwhile, retired IPS officer and former Bangalore city police commissioner S C Burman, who knew Janardhan’s family well, intervened and got a complaint filed with the DG&IGP. Based on a preliminary inquiry, sub-inspector Muni Reddy was suspended briefly. A chargesheet was filed against six policemen and a departmental inquiry ordered at the IG’s office.

 

Even after a year, the case hasn’t moved an inch after the initial hearings, in an apparent bid to hush it up. Meanwhile, the accused policemen allegedly threatened the boy with dire consequences and as a result, Manu left home seven months back.

 

The family lives on a farmhouse in Heggadihalli at the foot of Nandi Hills, Bangalore Rural. Janardhan grows grapes on a six-acre land, has a 25-acre farm and a bar and restaurant.

 

An eyewash: Burman:

“I am trying to help the family. They are highly aggrieved and feel humiliated and threatened. I saw the boy in hospital and he was totally dejected. This case shows to what extent police can go to extort money. The department has now messed up the case intentionally to divert the course of inquiry. Suspending a sub inspector was just an eyewash and now, the case is being hushed up,” former top cop Burman alleged.

 

Former top cop S C Burman

 

Also, the fact that Burman had taken an interest in the case, did not go down well with the policemen. “‘Why are you listening to Burman? What will you do after him,’ is how sub-inspector Muni Reddy threatened my son, asking him to take back the complaint. But I am going to fight this out. My son is very sensitive. He could not take the third-degree treatment and tried to commit suicide. We saved him this time. He feels very insulted and has left our hometown,” says a teary Janardhan.

 

Even as Janardhan is called for the hearings, the case has hardly moved with inquiry officials citing some random problems. Meanwhile, the accused police officials have been shifted out of Chikballapur police station.

 

Police inspector L Shivakumar, now posted in Kolar (Lottery and Excise) says: “This is not a big matter, please don’t write anything. We have questioned Manu and subsequently Janardhan filed a case against us. I don’t think we have made any mistake but a departmental primary investigation has held us guilty. We are waiting for the main investigation. We haven’t harassed Manu.”

 

However, Muni Reddy, now an SI at Kancharahalli near Chikballapur, admitted that Manu was innocent. “Since one of the accused dropped Manu’s name, we questioned him. After the interrogation, we realised that he was innocent and sent him back. But for some reason, he tried to commit suicide and later his father asked for a departmental inquiry and I got suspended. I am attending the hearings,” he said.